<^ .•>(i^:. V-4' .C'^i?*'. *-„u*^ -^^m.'. ^lu-^.'i 



'■^^o^ 

-.■*-'* 









o_ ^-^rrr** ^0' ^^. * » . o ' ^^ 



0^ •l:tL% V 






V 

V » * * o* ( 



.* ^' 











^-^^^ 



V .^l* 











,^°^ 



"-^^^' 



^"b- 



'.' ^<^^\ 













<P'^ " o »'> <^ 













o >• 





v^^°^ 






,0 



-<(/ 













,^< 






THE 

Economy of Education 



BY 



W?*A. STURDY. 



AUTHOR OF 

"RIGHT AND WRONG" "THE OPEN DOOR" 
"THE DEGENERACY OF ARISTOCRACY" 



BOSTON : 

J. D. BONNELL & SON 
1909 



L!BRf>aY of CONGRESS 
Two Ceuies Received j 

MAH 11 1^09 

Cofyrijiiit tntrv 
CLASS A~- 'Uc, Ho. 

K 3 3 Z Q. <i 

1 COPY 9. 



Copyright 1909 

W. A. STURDY, 

All Rights Reserved. 



TO THE SCHOOL TEACHERS OF AMERICA 



INTRODUCTION. 

"God created man in his own image." This agrees 
with the cognate fact of birth, and no person can dispute 
the knowledge of his own existence because he cannot 
prove how God could create him. It is enough to know 
the fact of one's own discovery, that existence was not 
revealed in any literal form. That is, man discovered the 
facts without being informed by any method of philology. 
He had no reason to doubt that his image was that of 
God, and after learning words and being told by others of 
similar likeness that they also had the same impression, 
which really did not change the fact of its being previ- 
ously known. It was merely confirmatory of mutual sat- 
isfaction. 

Now to be informed by the same literal vision, it is 
more, it is the truth and well known by educators who 
lack the courage to admit it in such simple terms that the 
poor and illiterate might readily understand that knowl- 
edge is truth or not worth knowing. The most import- 
ant feature that the poor and illiterate are anxious to 
obtain from a teacher, is the fact withheld, that spiritual 
knowledge is free, but literal knowledge is extremely ex- 
pensive and can only be obtained by excessive labor or 
an extravagant outlay of money. It is either political or 
commercial, and frequently both, when viewed in a gen- 
eral sense. It does not exclude the possibility that phi- 
lanthropists are sincerely striving to float a rotten insti- 
tution that can only be purified by sinking. 



INTRODUCTION. 

What reform ever took place that did not depend 
upon the principle of empiricism? Every scientific dis- 
covery and mechanical invention have always been em- 
pirical and doubtless room enough for it to continue. 
Passive harmony has great attraction and however much 
it is taught or preached it can only lead to destruction, 
for progress and civilization are as dependent upon ac- 
tivity as vegetable life is upon sunshine. It is idle to 
maintain that reforms can only occur from organization, 
for organizations are as combative as individuals, and 
when the purpose is commercial or political an organiza- 
tion can be as tyrannical as ancient slave hunting. Hence 
reform is empirical from necessity, for when the indi- 
vidual is diligently seeking the luxuries of life by being 
persuaded by a teacher that literal knowledge will enable 
him to obtain such with the least physical exertion, his 
very knowledge of letters and ability to read should con- 
vince him it was an imposition upon others. He could 
always commence reform at once by experimenting upon 
himself. Preachers, teachers, and leaders of every char- 
acter will not teach economy in whatever they offer for 
sale, any more than a storekeeper will fill his store with 
goods and then try to teach a customer that the goods 
would be an injury to him. A leader also seeking to 
live luxuriously with the greatest economy of exertion 
will always patronize profitable followers. 

When wickedness is increasing in proportion to the 
additional cost of literal education it should begin to 
dawn upon the prospective victims that the economy of 
education would have the effect to equalize the product 
of labor and also relieve the distress of the educated who 
are suffering from disappointment, a disease that the 
illiterate are not troubled with. To call the attention of 



INTRODUCTION. 

educators to what they must know to be a fact would 
simply betray an antithesis of words. That educators 
know it is proved by their effort to make literal educa- 
tion as expensive and complex as possible, for history is 
proof that the educating of slaves was never profitable. 
The educator that is sincere in trying to improve society, 
could not consistently object to the simplicity of methods 
that would all the more assist in the improvement. Surely 
no one could claim that assistance was being rendered 
by attraction that was continually being elevated out of 
reach. The fact that credulity is taken advantage of and 
cupidity encouraged is glaring proof that the present 
educational system is not philanthropic or what it pre- 
tends to be. 

If schools are being conducted for the benefit of teach- 
ers and politicians, the public should know it. On the 
other hand, if literal education is a necessity for the pro- 
tection of a "free government" the simpler the method 
the more it would conform to the declaration of purpose. 
When a truth depends upon political corruption for pro- 
tection it presents a problem that every human being on 
earth has an interest in. In a concise form it could be 
asked whether man made letters or letters made man? If 
God is the creator of all things it would be interesting 
to learn how the mere knowledge of letters entitled a 
man or any group of men to monopolize a common privi- 
lege for their personal profit. If it is divine authority or 
by man's own fiat, defence is equally in order, and there 
is no reason why it will not be as effective in the future 
as it has been in the past. 

This is a discussion of words and their relations to 
institutional systems and schemes ; besides, it would be 
difficult to find any active principle that was not con- 



INTRODUCTION, 

cerned with education in some form. Personality does 
not enter into this subject beyond the willingness of any 
person to make it such. It is therefore not a personal 
conflict, but the reverse, for the attempt is being made 
to show the sacredness of persons, as against the ambigu- 
ity of words and institutions that are especially devoted 
to teaching and training a personal dependence, to the 
extent even of compulsion being used to deprive people 
of their personality. This feature will be treated in de- 
tail. 

It will give reasons for considering the very essence 
of knowledge as presented by cognition when words and 
education are not concerned at all, suggesting the possi- 
bility that knowledge in its strict sense is not eflfected by 
education. Besides, if it were recognized publicly that it 
was impossible to express the truth by any word that was 
ever coined, it would simplify education to such an extent 
that it would release an army of educators so they might 
seek other employment. 

Because people become broken to an habitual life and 
taught to silently bear whatever burden circumstances 
places upon them, it will never justify the oppressive 
character of the strong in preaching and teaching con- 
tentment to the weak, when they know they are being 
imposed upon by the very teachers who are offering re- 
form for sale which continues to make greater reforms 
necessary. The enmity shown toward anyone who dares 
to interfere with another's commercial traffic in educa- 
tion proves that such business thrives upon the innocent 
credulity of the illiterate masses. 

The multitudes of synonyms that are derived from a 
number of written languages are for the same purpose 
as that for which they are first established, to disguise 



INTRODUCTION. 

the duplicity of teachers and philosophers who could 
employ esoteric words, while the same subjects could 
be discussed in exoteric words ; the former method being 
employed to prevent the common people from aspiring 
to ever know as much as their teachers. If ancient con- 
ditions have become obsolete why should the implements 
be retained and laboriously taught to youth when a child 
even knows that an object is not improved by having 
half a dozen words attached to it? It not only con- 
founds a language but enables a skilful linguist to stifle 
the simple argument of an inquirer by defeating the very 
object of words — simply that we may portray our 
thoughts understandingly. That synonyms continue 
to be employed suggests an object detrimental to the 
common people who are persuaded to believe that the 
mere learning of words is knowledge. The fact that no 
thought was ever expressed in words according to the 
strict sense of a thought, makes it absolutely necessary 
to employ whatever words will appear to portray the 
thought, entirely regardless of either technical words or 
their classification. Any method of mutual understand- 
ing is just as sacred to-day as when the desire was first 
breathed into the body of man by the Supreme Spirit, 
and in order to show how simple education could be it 
will be a privilege to exemplify it by practice. 

If it could be proved that knowledge cannot be liter- 
ally taught or the truth expressed in words, it would be 
a reform as shocking as when machinery was suddenly 
introduced to replace hand labor, yet a careful observer 
could not deny that machine tools have advanced more 
rapidly than literal tools. It certainly means something 
when pagan literature is taught to the plastic mind of 
youth and endorsed by modern educators as knowledge, 



INTRODUCTION. 

when ancient machine tools have long since been dis- 
carded. 

Hence if the convenient implements of common use 
can be so simply made it would appear reasonable that 
a speculation at least could be considered when it might 
be possible to improve education and brush away the old 
junk of the past or permit it to rest in peace on the pages 
of history. The fundamental principle of idolatry was 
the deification of man's work, including literal knowl- 
edge; it was thus made to appear that knowledge de- 
pended upon inspired teachers who had the exclusive 
control of letters. The motive for maintaining pagan 
methods under different names is the same now as it 
was then, simply to keep the producing man subordinate 
to the non-producer. That education is a two-edged 
sword is no secret. David demonstrated that defence 
was more dependent upon faith and courage than the 
bluster of noise to prevent the common people from be- 
coming too common. The economy of education, would 
benefit the teacher as much as the taught, for conditions 
are self-adjusting, and a strict orthodox in whatever 
opinion he holds to is- more a subject of pity than charity, 
too often the result of cultivating mistakes rather than 
employing his mental faculties in the investigation of 
facts. 

A lexicon that is biased in the interest of specific or- 
ganization is not fit for a public school, when it is pre- 
tended that such a school teaches patriotism and moral 
obligation in accord with the Bible. It is the purpose of 
this writing to demonstrate the present evils of the educa- 
tional system of America and show the need of an 
American literature based upon American principles of 
progress, for the introduction of economy in education. 



INDEX TO CHAPTERS 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. BIRTH 13 

II. LANGUAGE 21 

III. WORDS 28 

IV. NATURAL EDUCATION 36 

V. LITERAL EDUCATION 44 

VI. PEDAGOGY 51 

VIL SCIENCE 58 

VIIL TEMPTATION 65 

IX. DEMONOLOGY 72 

X. "TRANSCENDENTALISM" 80 

XL FREEDOM 88 

XII. SLAVERY 96 

XIIL HABIT 103 

XIV. ASSOCIATION in 

XV. INDEPENDENCE .' 119 

XVL OBLIGATION 127 

XVIL TESTIMONY 132 

XVIIL AUTHORITY 140 

XIX. RESPONSIBILITY 148 

XX. COMPULSION 155 

XXL OSTENTATION 164 

XXIL INFINITE FORCE 174 

XXIIL THE BALANCE OF FORCE 183 

XXIV. VAGUE TERMS 192 

XXV. CLASSICAL SOCIETY 200 



CHAPTER PAGE 

XXVI. THE PETITION OF THE BABE 211 

XXVII. LAW AND ORDER 220 

XXVIII. NATURAL INTELLIGENCE 228 

XXIX. PERSONAL LIBERTY 235 

XXX. DIRECT REVELATION 24S 

XXXL THEORY VERSUS TRUTH 257 

XXXIL PERSONAL CONSISTENCY 264 

XXXm. CHRISTIANITY 273 

XXXIV. CHURCH GOVERNMENT 283 

XXXV. MORAL RECTITUDE 293 

XXXVL IDEAL SYSTEMS 302 

XXXVIL PUBLIC SCHOOLS 310 

XXXVIIL PURE REASON 320 

XXXIX. OBSERVATION 328 

XL. THE ECONOMY OF GROWTH 338 

XLL THE SAGACITY OF EDUCATION 347 

XLIL REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT 356 

XLIIL PROGRSSIVE INTELLIGENCE 366 

XLIV. WHAT IT MEANS 375 



THE ECONOMY OF 
EDUCATION 



CHAPTER I. 



BIRTH. 



THE truth is an etsablished fact and needs no comment, 
but the distribution of it is practical education and 
the economy of which would aid distribution. Thus what- 
ever could be more cheaply produced the benefit would 
be more general. There should be no misunderstanding 
between the correspondence of literal implements and 
the mechanical, if the truth is the end in view. Rules are 
despotic, and were it possible to enforce them strictly in- 
vention and human progress would be impossible. Thus 
to affirm that knowledge is not dependent upon educa- 
tion would be such a radical departure from present ac- 
cepted conditions that for a person to assert it would be 
to invite persecution. It is not necessary to assert it or 
deny it by any method of education that man has yet dis- 
covered. It is the truth that every person in the posses- 
sion of human faculties sufficient to assert his own pres- 
ence, knows it to be a fact. It would be absurd to try 
to convince a dead man that he was dead and equally 
absurd to convince a live man that he was alive. It is 



14 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

therefore only what a person is willing to admit, that 
education is at all concerned with. That is, what a per- 
son knows and what he will admit that he knows are not 
in correspondence outside of personality itself. 

Birth is just as much a beginning to-day as it was at 
any primeval period of which literal records give any 
account. When a person can be convinced, although he 
lives, that he is still to be born, he is practically dead un- 
til he discovers the fact himself that he lives. That 
could be one interpretation of the familiar passage in 
Scripture "Ye must be born again." Whether it is a lit- 
eral truth that "God created man in His own image" or 
"to His own image," as the Catholic Bible puts it, is im- 
material to the more important fact involved between a 
material birth and a spiritual birth. That is, the ma- 
terial birth is dependent, while the "new birth," the spir- 
itual, is independent. 

This could be considered to be educational and yet 
non-instructive in the sense of presumitive teaching, for 
literal teaching can only be taught by signs and words 
that are corruptible which suggests the end for which 
this writing is intended. 

Providing there are no words that can express the 
truth, by reason of their corruptive character it does not 
exclude the expression of truth by correspondence, for 
while language is dependent upon association or environ- 
ments it should be carefully observed by anyone inter- 
ested in economics that language is a genitive faculty 
from which words are derived. It presents such a com- 
plex difficulty of expression that a person can be robbed 
of his birthright by being taught to believe that language 
is subordinate to words. It is not education proper, but 
political education that thrives by symbolism and dia- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I5 

letics, the inheritance derived from the pagans who dei- 
fied words by giving to the word knowledge spiritual at- 
tributes. For instance, knowledge was acknowledged to 
be truth, therefore the word knowledge was deified like 
a graven image and by the faculty of the learned what- 
ever was labeled knowledge in letters was heresy to dis- 
pute. Socrates dared to dispute it at the expense of his 
life four hundred years before Christ was crucified for 
the same reason. Therefore while knowledge is true the 
word may be false, and how one knows without being 
taught in words is simple, and economical, while words 
are made merchandise of for commercial profit and po- 
litical preferment. If such is not the case, surely the 
economy of education would not detract from its car- 
dinal virtues. 

The child knows before it has the least conception of 
letters, or just as soon as it can taste and feel. Because 
memory is too weak to engross the first conception of a 
babe, it does not deceive the parent. It is a proof of cog- 
nition, the revelation of which being strictly spiritual by 
reason of independent action that neither words nor the 
parent can account for. When every birth presents this 
same phenomenon its educational character cannot be too 
carefully observed. Normal condition appears to be 
helpless and so recorded in words that reflect more bias 
than the innocence of the babe is capable of. 

But the babe is protected by the same unseen spirit 
that does not forsake it in its weakness. The parent may 
be as illiterate as language prior to written signs corre- 
sponding with utterance, yet the parent is endowed by 
the same spirit that the babe is in touch with — the spirit 
of love. It reveals more wisdom than all the literature 
that was ever written. It reflects the relation of spiritual 



l6 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

knowledge to the literal and proves that God protects 
the human race by the revelation of spiritual knowledge 
before any tinge of literal knowledge is present. What- 
ever volume of literal accumulation may exist, and how- 
ever much evolution may have improved the human 
race, its continuity is just as dependent upon spiritual 
knowledge as any primeval birth that letters ever re- 
corded. 

At a more advanced period the babe falls out of bed 
and discovers gravitation even before Newton was born. 
It also remains to be discovered how a person could 
learn the sense of fear or could exist except from a 
"fall" that gravitation was more responsible for than the 
wickedness of adult man who would employ his literary 
talent in denying the purity of his own birth. The child 
is the victim of fear and training both, besides every evil 
that words ever recorded must be met and successfully 
overcome, for the price of knowledge is at the expense 
of a "fall" — it could be termed evil without disturbing 
the fact. To attempt to teach in standard works of bi- 
ology and philology that a child is only in part natural, 
to be made whole by education, is ingeniously admitted 
in words and also denied, with an apparent purpose that 
an educated man claiming to be such could not deny 
without admitting his own pedantry. If pagan scholars 
contributed anything to learning, it was in teaching pos- 
terity to profit by their mistakes in playing with words 
so ingeniously as to hide the truth more effectually in 
their pretended zeal to reveal it. 

That knowledge and truth both are bestowed upon the 
child at birth make him the teacher rather than the sub- 
ject to be taught. Because the child does not depend upon 
words for the comprehension ^of knowledge is significant 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I7 

of the relation of innate knowledge to surrounding ob- 
jects. A child's knowledge derived from the conception 
of pain at its first fall established a foundation for the 
word fear. This fact, to anyone willing to observe it, 
suggests the origin of language regardless of the written 
authorities upon the subject. What is important to ob- 
serve in relation to the inborn knowledge that the child 
is constantly demonstrating to its parents, is the fact that 
words are products of the protoplasm of knowledge and 
the effort to employ words to analyze their own source 
has been successful only in exposing the motive. The 
discovery that words could be arranged to represent the 
natural sounds and symbolize objects, was taken advan- 
tage of regardless of truth or retribution. It introduced 
social castes and slavery in proportion to a military or- 
ganization to enforce it. 

The real source of knowledge the literary learned were 
never ignorant of, but the apparent helplessness of the 
masses has led the learned into such a state of conten- 
tion that they are gradually becoming as helpless as their 
former slaves and victims. That knowledge is truth is 
just as potent to-day as when the learned first conceived 
the advantage of appropriating the product by teaching 
fear as a means of subjugation of the timid. 

Children are being continually crucified on the cross 
of greed in the name of education. The cardinal prin- 
ciple of education and religion is not involved in this 
crime. It is the wickedness of adult man to profit upon 
the weakness of a child that falls in innocence that it 
may rise in knowledge. Every birth is a rebuke from 
God against this unholy practice. It is not a mere ideal 
figure of speculative illustration, but a continuous recur- 
ring truth that no parent can deny, who observes the in- 



15 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

nocence of a child that falls in its effort to walk, that it 
might rise in knowledge and battle against the power of 
greed to knock it down again. It is the second fall that 
the present institution of education is accountable for, 
and when did God ever cease to punish the wicked and 
reward the righteous? It is, however, a spiritual re- 
ward that God promises against the material reward 
that is the limit of educational institutions to promise. 

Is the fact in question, that a babe falls out of bed and 
learns more than books can teach? It learns language 
and science that books and literature are mere plagiarism 
in comparison. It could be claimed the child did not rep- 
resent a literal truth and therefore the teacher of letters 
is not a plagiarist, but words are their own worst enemy, 
for they present such a complexed paradox as to appear 
miraculous to the illiterate. The miracle is wholly con- 
fined to the appearance, yet the appearance could be true, 
as such, while the effort of words try to penetrate be- 
yond facts by the power of their own fiat. It will not 
work, however, to hide a "literal truth" behind a "figu- 
rative truth," and then reverse the position to confound 
the understanding of the simple-minded whenever cir- 
cumstances in the discussion of words demand it. 

The situation remains, that when a child falls out of 
bed it presents a figure of speech that no metaphor in 
words ever compared. It embraces language (the voice) 
knowledge (the sense of feeling) and also science from 
the discovery of gravitation, and when this simple fact is 
of daily occurrence the relative character of words to 
knowledge should be gracefully admitted by the learned 
who must know it, providing they are willing to "drink 
deep in the Pierian spring of knowledge." 

The child is certainly not ignorant of the genitive 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I9 

principle of knowledge after falling out of bed. If later 
the seductive character of words present a temptation 
that is not in every case successfully overcome, it is well 
that the source of knowledge cannot be reached by the 
greed of man who appears to prosper, but is the pros- 
perity worth the punishment when a person is obliged 
to deny the first conception of knowledge in order to 
maintain the appearance, against the fact, of which one's 
own presence is the evidence? The effort of man to 
prove his fitness to supersede the divine method of edu- 
cation would appear by a parent forcibly dropping a 
child to the floor that it might obtain knowledge by the 
fall. It illustrates the propensity of man to assume godly 
attributes, for the correspondence between parent and 
child is love, and the confidence of the child in the parent 
once betrayed is very difficult to recover. When the 
parent fails to practice exactly what is preached the child 
will give more attention to the discrepancy than to the 
precepts. The same would hold with any class of teach- 
ers that failed to exemplify with minute exactness what- 
ever is taught. It is this feature that will not justify ed- 
ucation by the mere sign, the word, or symbol, having 
no spiritual equality with spirit or any power to com- 
mand spirit. If life had been so ordered with human 
beings that they moved with the regularity of planets, 
danger and evils would not be encountered, and if they 
could be anticipated from scientific effort to explain the 
source of life, it would be a disorder that society would 
not tolerate because it could not exist in the absence of 
gravitation that permits the units of society to act inde- 
pendently of despotic rules by which man is ever trying 
to destroy himself, except for the new comer that is the 
real master of the situation. 



20 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

Education will continue just as long as babes continue 
to fall and thieves continue to steal in disregard of all 
law that often adds to the evil in proportion to the wick- 
edness of the law maker. 

Birth is an accident to the person born, and education 
follows as a mere continuity of accidents — it could be 
understood as experience. The babe falling out of bed 
is typical of a fall of any character, but the important 
feature is, that a fall is an accident as much so as the 
accident of birth, and the word experience is a synonym 
definitely relating to the event of birth, accident, or edu- 
cation. When a person is willing to admit that education 
is experience derived from accident, such a person is on 
a firm foundation with a fair prospect of learning some 
more. It has been shown that the accident of a fall 
teaches a child knowledge — language and science with- 
out any assistance from the parent or any other person. 
To the contrary also that assisting a child to fall as the 
only means possible by which the child could become ed- 
ucated would not only be cruel but ungodly, and contrary 
to the language of love. Keeping this situation in view 
a person would be fully equipped to learn some more. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 21 



CHAPTER IL 



LANGUAGE. 



THE treatment of Philology as the science of Language 
in the Encyclopedia Britannica is remarkable in its 
treatment of facts, and still more remarkable in its efforts 
to hide them. The man is a very inferior scholar to search 
pre-historic graves to find the origin of language. The 
person who has been trained to follow a despotic rule 
until he lacks the courage to try any other path, will find 
just what he was told he would find, and except for some 
unexpected accident he will find nothing except what the 
rule applied to. Accidents are more common in active 
life than they are in graveyards. Hence people go too 
far from home to find the origin of language. 

It is much easier to change the definition of a symbol 
that relates to a fact than to change a fact. Human 
speech is a genitive principle that is inborn and natural. 
No person is indebted to abstract education for the privi- 
lege of speaking. It is the fact, rather than the numerous 
symbols that relate to methods of education that a person 
desires to know — that is, what belongs to himself or for 
what he is indebted to others. When the word language 
was applied to the natural and literal (artificial) both, 
human speech and thought were superseded by the polity 
of rulers who were jealous of their power. To preserve 
the commonness of natural knowledge anything educa- 
tional or religious was strictly guarded. It was neces- 



22 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

sary therefore to give letters or literal language the ap- 
pearance of controlling the natural simply because the 
dialetic could be extravagantly extended. 

Language is just as much an attribute of human birth 
as the eyes or sense of feeling, or any sense conception 
that consciousness reveals. Now when a philologist 
tries to teach that the study of words will reveal the 
origin of language he must necessarily deny his own 
birth or the fact that the origin of language was be- 
stowed upon him before having any idea of letters. 
To make it appear in words that the Creator created 
man only in part, while animals and all creeping 
things were made complete, casts an incongruity 
ftpon the situation that any unbiased person could 
scarcely fail to observe. It has nothing to do with literal 
revelations, it concerns the wisdom of God and the vera- 
city of man who was endowed with the faculty of speech 
(language) from which signs were made to correspond 
with the sound of the voice, which were afterward em- 
ployed to deny natural language that even animals were 
endowed with minus the ability to make words. 

Surely animals were more reverent and contented with 
mere natural language than man who was endowed with 
a knowledge of writing signs of the natural language, by 
which his experience could be recorded and preserved 
after the material body returned to earth. No educated 
man can without betraying his prejudice claim that natu- 
ral man was so incomplete that the completion depended 
upon a system of education organized before the natural 
man was born. According to the Science of Language 
in Encyclopedia Britannica, "Man as we now see him is 
a two- fold being; in part the child of nature, as to his 
capacities and desires, his endowments of mind and 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 23 

body ; in part the creature of education, by training in the 
knowledge, the arts, the social conduct, of which his pre- 
decessors have gained possession." It is worthy of the 
Greek Sophist Protagoras to have declared "God's work 
was so poorly performed that it had to be corrected by 
man, and he, Protagoras, for compensation, would be 
willing to perform it himself." 

Words have been so corrupted for profitable educa- 
tional purposes that no sooner is an affirmative made 
than words can be found to dispute it, while Greed 
goes on its way rejoicing. The ability to change the 
meanings of words to fit an end in view, was, and is, an 
important feature of education ; it would, therefore, be 
more difficult to show what was not education than what 
was, for every human action is educational. It is no 
trouble, however, to show that natural education is as 
free as air and sunshine, which would be equally as ex- 
pensive as the artificial if man could discover a method' 
to make it so. It is a poor excuse to justify the syste- 
matic arrangement of words and ascetic rules protected 
by the state on the simple ground that it is possible. It 
is neither a question of right or wrong, for it is no secret 
that educated man even will do wrong for a compensa- 
tion in money or vainglory. The point is, the education 
derived from God (natural education) is free, while lit- 
eral education derived from the ingenuity of man grows 
more expensive in proportion to the victim's willingness 
to pay for it. If this is moral rectitude to take advantage 
of the weakness or primitive character of man, which is 
natural, it is certainly contrary to the spiritual education 
which is also natural and free, bestowed upon man at 
birth direct from his Creator. The question for the in- 
dividual to solve is : did God's gift of natural intelligence, 



24 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

or could it be objected to that natural intelligence is not 
rational intelligence, but the point again ; did God include 
in the privilege of man to do wrong the privilege of 
charging his victim for being warned against the dan- 
ger of being victimized? Again, is wickedness the fault 
of the man who is ignorant, and of its being wicked, or 
he who knows it? 

To return to the philologist's statement that "man is 
two-fold, part natural and part the result of education." 
Education being every active influence that is presented 
to the child from the day of his birth, would it not, to 
anyone interested in the economy of education, be well 
to notice the specific character of education that forms 
the other part of man before he becomes a full-fledged 
man ? Education ? certainly ! But it appears that God 
and man both are educating the child. No one can 
scarcely question that the education of God is anything 
but good, and again the point returns. Is the education 
from man better simply because it costs more? 

The limit of words is to combat words, for the com- 
munion of spirit is wisely bestowed upon man entirely 
separate from literal words. The philologist declares 
that the predecessors have gained possession of the in- 
struments of knowledge previous to the arrival of a new 
comer upon earth. Could the child be deprived of its 
spiritual title, it would surely be forever consigned to 
obedience to the will of its predecessors. For what pur- 
pose other than pecuniary profit will a person withhold 
this fact, and try to manipulate words in the effort to 
combat the spiritual knowledge that was given to the 
child to keep as long as it had strength and courage 
enough to defend it? If predecessors were not swept oflf 
the earth with the broom of natural adjustment, making 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 25 

their despotic rules obsolete, barbarism, savagery and 
slavery would have been established beyond the possibil- 
ity of reform. The elasticity of words in competition 
with the spiritual or natural language from which they 
are derived has always been a defeat for words since 
David slew Goliath. Thus, if an observer will give but 
a brief attention to this matter, he might learn some more 
even if he is already well stocked with knowledge. 
Natural language — spiritual language, is the prototype of 
words — the literal or artificial. There is no sense to any 
word ever spoken or written, any more than the word 
sugar could convey sweetness to the sense of taste. Ad- 
mitting this statement to be a fact, natural language is 
just as pure as the first petition for attention the child 
utters. It is the copy (words) also called language that 
is temporal and thereby corruptible. 

Natural language is as diversified as the artificial copy 
and equally as potent, with this difference, however, nat- 
ural language can supply more signs as rapidly as the 
words of our predecessors wear out. The truth is, 
the language of Nature is not a correspondence of words, 
however potent words may be in taking notes of the sit- 
uation. The language of love, the language of birds, the 
language of flowers, the language of the beautiful, in 
fact, all the organs of sense, are in correspondence with 
whatever is spiritual without the assistance of a single 
word. For instance, the language of love is the touch, 
sublime. It is the supreme educator, universally free, 
requiring no listener in words, and the most remarkable 
feature is, that one has only to be bom to know it. 

"For what to shun, will no great knowledge need. 
But what to seek, were a task indeed." 



26 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

The language of the beautiful is in correspondence, not 
necessarily with words, for the correspondence is 
equally possible without them. Words could not be 
swept off the earth any more than wickedness and tempt- 
ations, for educators would not be in "possession" of the 
instruments of dispute which educators of the highest 
type are constantly using in dispute between themselves, 
only agreeing that inferiors must be obedient or the profit 
of educating them will disappear. If it is not so, for 
what reason do professors disagree in methods of educa- 
tion while they are agreed to use technical and esoteric 
words for no possible reason except that their victims 
will learn that education is free, while the luxury of 
wickedness is expensive? 

The layman has no alternative but to study the words 
of Paul in correspondence with spirit ("voice") for to 
ask another man what to do to be saved would bring 
forth the question of how much one was willing to pay 
for the information? A person willing to pay any price 
for indulgence would spurn a better article that was free. 
Study the babies if they are more plenty in the house 
than Bibles, which could be consulted, for they all teach 
the same thing at a reasonable cost. If a reform pedler 
having had no knowledge of parentage offers advice to 
a parent in regard to the needs of the children, the best 
answer would be that the children need all the bread that 
their parents were able to earn. 

The incongruity of words in whatever form they are 
placed will not correspond with spirit or natural lan- 
guage, for however skillful the artist is in painting cor- 
respondence, his work will not respond in spirit. The 
ambiguous definitions of words professors of philology 
have settled so definitely that such words as express 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 2/ 

irony, ridicule and sarcasm are only to be employed when 
talking to laymen who are quickly silenced at the first 
exhibition of pedantry. From a popular text book by 
Gabriel Campayre, translated by W. H. Payne, A. M., 
page loi, the following sentence may be found in rela- 
tion to the training of a child, but more fitting to a horse. 
"After having allowed himself to be constrained, he will 
finally consent to it; he will give his attention until at 
last he will of his ozmi accord attach himself to the ob- 
jects of study toward which his own choice draws him." 
It would appear therefore that a child or a layman could 
be subdued and barely permitted to think, until one was 
forced not to think out loud. As words go, it could be 
readily proved to a professor that the word did not apply 
to the inspiration bestowed upon mankind by the Cre- 
ator for communication with one's fellows. If such 
communication is not language, certainly words are not, 
but in esoteric parlance it could be proved as definitely 
as words, after they are defined to meet the end in view, 
that literal words and spiritual conveyance of thoughts, 
or imagery, are embraced in the one word "language." 
This would appear to constrain the most ambitious per- 
son, however much one might desire to think out loud, 
and dare to dispute a professor of philology. 

It is enough, however, to know that language is spir- 
itual, or books would never have been written. Spiritual 
language is scarcely in question for the most orthodox 
psychologist to dispute, but the non-inspiration of words 
can only be thought about by the individual who knows 
he has the faculty to think if he is too prudent to think 
out loud. Everyone must realize from his own experi- 
ence that natural language runs through the entire hu- 
man race in contrary distinction to the mere instinct of 



28 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

animals. Philology admits it, and it is troublesome 
words that have been tangled up with spirit that keep 
the mental faculties exercised at least. Aristotle intro- 
duced the esoteric system which made him famous. His 
sophistry and neglect of moral obligation were condoned 
for his inventing a system by which "slaves, tinkers and 
cobblers" could be kept in submission to the power of 
literal knowledge, for he never committed himself to 
the study of spiritual things, and after "proving" that he 
had discovered everything that knowledge could dis- 
cover, he failed to notice that the earth was an active 
planet and turned around. 



CHAPTER HI. 



WORDS. 



THAT there is no sense to words could be disputed by 
the assertion there is no sense to the statement. The 
word sense relates to the most essential feature of life 
and the consciousness of it. The relation of natural lan- 
guage to the literal is essential to the consideration of 
the economy of education, for if words fail to perform 
their office in the correspondence of thought between the 
individuals they are reduced to inanimate matter and 
consequently senseless. Political or commercial educa- 
tors could not be asked with propriety to admit they 
were more interested in the profit of teaching than to give 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 29 

any attention to whether they were teaching the truth 
or not. It is this feature that makes the complex char- 
acter of words important, for any kind of incongruities 
can be estabHshed by the ambiguity of words. A person 
may feel convinced in his own mind that he had done a 
wrong to another, but being ably represented by some 
professor learned in words and eloquent in their use, he 
would be convinced that he was mistaken, and the person 
whom he thought he had wronged was really to blame 
for not knowing better than to submit to a wrong. 

There is a Oneness to the attributes of God as be- 
stowed in spirit that words are a stranger to, for a word 
means nothing in the absense of sense to use it, thus 
words are not sense, but the instruments of sense, and 
in whatever manner they are used to defraud the purpose 
of God as revealed to the sense, they are as nefarious as 
instruments of warfare ; both, however, could be proved 
by words to be civilizing. It has been much discussed by 
men who claim for each other the exclusive privilege of 
discussing anything, that the ignorance of doing wrong 
does not exempt a person from the penalty of doing the 
wrong. This could be discussed in words to the end of 
time, but it would appear to a person of sense that he was 
as much entitled to his own ignorance as what he could 
observe in another, who ofttimes admits it accidentally. 
Thus a teacher who is sincere in consequence of ignor- 
ance or mistaken convictions should be pitied rather than 
censured, for it is the teacher that knows he is striving to 
protect the profitable character of education that is doing 
the wrong. Such a teacher will betray himself by trying 
to maintain the pagan understanding of words, that the 
ability of sylogizing deifies the man, giving him spiritual 
control of words, in proportion to his oratorical power to 



30 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

win the public attention. Teaching in ancient times was 
extremely profitable, for words could always prove by 
their own declaration that they could command gods 
which were also symbols, and to the illiterate were sup- 
posed to be in correspondence. It is not a question to 
discuss at the present time, whether the ancient teach- 
ers believed it or not, but it was profitable and they trans- 
mitted that fact at least to posterity, and a close study 
of the present situation will show the advantage of teach- 
ing that the sign language transcends the spiritual by 
mystifying the facts, by the same arguments the pagans 
used. 

The speculation in words rests upon the disputant to 
prove their transcendental character. The weapons of 
words were not only commercially profitable, but ap- 
peared to sustain their transcendental pretensions, by 
assisting in the construction of weapons of warfare, 
which also appeared to justify conquest and slavery. No 
vision warned the prophetic teachers of old that greed 
led to destruction, and when the conquered slaves be- 
came educated in the art of war from the example of 
their task-masters, they became proficient in defence. 
Wisdom should see the future in the past, and observe 
that the greed of the present cannot master the two- 
edged sword of education by teaching that words can 
command their source by the mere fiat of combination 
with spirit by even pretending to teach sense with them. 

To this point, however, the attention of a parent 
may be called at least. The parent is the first personal 
teacher of the child who undertakes to teach words and 
call them sense, when the child protests by correcting the 
parent, and proving that God had taught the child sense 
prior to the effort of the parent, the language of love 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 3I 

will prevail unless the parent is a pedant or the victim of 
pedantic instruction, when the child will have to plunge 
into the mysteries of life with its spiritual correspondence 
alone. The pedantic philologist will not admit a defeat, 
but easily proves by the dual character of words that the 
pagans discovered that the word sense was only a sym- 
bol and combined with the word language embraced 
spiritual sense to the end that knowledge might 
be taught the child. The system proves itself, because 
words were made to fit the desired end, but the only 
trouble with the system is it isn't true. It can only be dis- 
covered by the child, for a pedant will never admit he is 
a pedant, except he has courage and willingness to be 
"born again." The child persists and develops ugliness 
and anger, for sense is never passive, and grows more ac- 
tive in proportion as compulsion replaces the touch of 
love sublime, all the child is insisting upon. It is the 
duty of every honest person to assist the child in proving 
to the world that the word sense applied to truth. But 
again, words are not truths, even if philologists can make 
people believe that language depends upon association, 
when it would be more comprehensive to teach a child 
that it depended upon sense which would correspond with 
the child's own feelings, when it fell out of bed, or when 
it attempted to walk that it might rise in knowledge by 
its own effort, protected by the love of the parent rather 
than the pedantry of the philologist skilled in the play 
with words. For instance : The word "truth" applies to 
the contrary of the word "false" — "a real state of things" 
— a fact — sense — reality, etc. 

Now the word false relates to the telling or writing a 
lie which would be a fact to the extent of what the word 
related to ; that is, if the truth is a fact when it is true and 



32 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

a lie is a fact when it is a lie, the word fact makes the 
truth a lie and a lie the truth. The importance of teach- 
ing a child that a word is sense is derived from ancient 
asceticism, on the principle that a child must be broken to 
obedience before letting him understand he was in 
possession of sense, the very genitive of words. It con- 
founds the natural intelligence of a child rather than cul- 
tivating it until words as senseless as a club are beaten 
into them by the promise from greed that material re- 
ward can be obtained by the ability to play with words. 

The Bible teaches, "The letter killeth, but the spirit 
giveth life." It would appear from this that sense is the 
only method of corresponding with spirit, even if sym- 
bols can be made by man to throw a superficial mantle 
over the naked truth. It is the petition of the child to be 
recognized as the product of God from the touch of 
spirit that material words have never been able to ana- 
lyze. This was the struggle of the pagans, but it is only 
from the confiding simplicity of the child and illiteracy 
of the adults that symbols can be pointed to as the source 
of knowledge. The word knowledge being recognized 
as truth, whatever was labeled knowledge signified it was 
true, and this synthesis of words makes them convenient 
to manipulate. "A literal truth" for instance, is taught 
to be the reverse of a figurative truth, while both are 
symbols like the word horse and its picture. That neither 
possess sense is the point, for both figure and letter have 
exactly the same relation to sense, and to deify the word 
the figure is equally involved. The pagans were more 
consistent than the pedant Christians, for the pagans dei- 
fied all kinds of symbols relating to piety and a con- 
trolling spirit. 

It is inconsistent to take advantage of the plastic mind 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 33 

of children, and teach them that mythology was false, 
since words were substituted for myths, seeking to make 
philology true by the same method mythologists operated 
while the fact is as mysterious as ever, and wisely so, for 
there is only One interpreter. There being no more sense 
to philology than to mythology the plastic mind of the 
child can be broken with words that will prevent the 
child from thinking, just the same as its legs could be 
broken to prevent it from walking. 

Words, clubs, and all instruments of structure are in- 
animate and void of sense. They are all equally as de- 
structive as constructive. To say they had no use would 
be as great a myth as they are often used for. The club 
is senseless, but its economic use could, like words, bestir 
animation of sense in an apparently senseless body, but 
like words in an extravagant application, both could drive 
sense out of the body. The only real protection there- 
fore, is the divine law of love, the language of spirit, the 
touch sublime that no words, figures, or clubs can reach. 

The professor learned in literal knowledge will discuss 
difference of opinion with a peer, but in conversation 
with a layman the opinion of a professor must be ac- 
cepted without question or the layman would be subject 
to reproof. He will wonder in silence, however, when 
one professor tells him a thing is so, and another equally 
as learned, will tell him not to believe it, for it isn't so. 
The opinions of both are expected to be received respect- 
fully, but it is a very dull layman, or one well broken to 
rules and habits, that does not perceive that after being 
thoroughly educated he must still decide by his own nat- 
ural intelligence the true from the false. It naturally 
points to an exclusive layman language by which they 
can compare their thoughts intelligently, and leave the 



34 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

esoteric style to the exclusive use of the modern task- 
master. That language is both natural and simple, the 
aborigines and also the child give ample evidence, and 
when the parent realizes that his child is being taught 
anything that is profitable, the same as a merchant sells 
worthless goods, it will be the parent's own fault if he 
continues to submit to it. 

The words sense, knowledge, experience, conscious- 
ness, cognition, language, perception, conception, intui- 
tion, etc., are simply terms for unteachable conditions 
bestowed upon man at birth. It is usurpation for any 
person or group of persons to take money for pretending 
to teach what God bestows free upon the entire human 
race. The introduction of complexity in the use of words 
betrays a hidden motive that is anything but philan- 
thropic. It would be too voluminous to point out the in- 
congruity of words, and show reasons for their complex- 
ity. Reasons in favor of the confusion of words with 
delicate shades of meaning could be defended by the very 
shades that obscure them. It was a political necessity 
that suggested this vast array of words to give different 
shades of meaning to them. Governments and institu- 
tions of every character have made words to fit some spe- 
cific end, and while it does not change the spiritual or 
material object bearing such a multitude of names, it 
makes education extremely laborious and cultivates the 
memory at the expense of the judgment, until a man can 
become a walking lexicon without judgment enough to 
file a saw or keep from freezing to death without assist- 
ance from a man he might scorn in the absence of a lit- 
eral introduction. This awful extravagance in educa- 
tion may continue until the law of natural adjustment 
occurs, for when a nation gets top heavy with extrava- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 35 

gant ideas it will be compelled by natural adjustment to 
return to original conceptions, whether the people are 
willing or not. Words are signs, if not sense, and also 
signs of danger as well as signs of safety, but they de- 
pend upon the attention and willingness to study and 
comprehend them, "for fools rush in where angels fear 
to tread," they often escape in safety while the lexicon 
man waits for an introduction, and, having no judgment, 
he is practically lost. 

The teaching of terminology and nomenclature is an 
effort to protect social distinction at the expense of the 
illiterate. It is just as much a breach of contract for an 
educator to fail to deliver the goods he promises, as for 
a merchant to take pay for goods that he knows he can- 
not deliver. The fact that technical products are becom- 
ing a burden to the market of demand, the hard-earned 
money of parents is being greedily taken for promising 
expectations that yield ninety-nine per cent, disappoint- 
ment to one that would just as probably have occurred 
from the natural order of things. Any economy in phy- 
sical labor is so carefully studied that the extravagant 
programme of educators paints an ideal existence of lux- 
ury to such as can play with words and command service 
from the illiterate defenceless, who are becoming so 
scarce that a technical man is frequently seeking service 
from the non-technical. It is a mere question of economy 
that natural education will force the literal to submit to 
in proportion to the supremacy of spiritual authority 
over the material. It will stop just as soon as the victims 
realize they are being victimized, same as a fire disap- 
pears when there is nothing more to consume. 



36 ' THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER IV. 



NATURAL EDUCATION. 



ANYTHING inspired by spirit is natural, and whatever 
is comprehended is education. It is a universal com- 
munion of spirit with a common source, which is God. To 
be natural is to know by experience or intuition, and an 
individual experience is a universal communion of spirit' 
or the term reason is not worth talking about. Spiritual 
communion is the one form of language and education 
that words and signs at their best only convey the imi- 
tations. The efforts of individual man to proclaim him- 
self the equal of God as an educator or to be recognized 
as such, have caused more war and premature death than 
all the natural deaths that ever occurred; and it is still 
an open question if it will ever be successful, while rea- 
son and sense continue to be naturally bestowed upon 
the human family at the mere cost of willingness to ac- 
cept it. 

The unity of truth, sense, spirit, experience, and natu- 
ral education is a concrete combination that in compari- 
son, abstract plurals are a mere fog. The reason opposi- 
tion to the simple truth continues is the same reason 
why tyrants and "task-masters" will continue as long as 
they can find timid dupes to support them. The need 
of temptation to incite the natural protoplast of every- 
thing is the same as the necessary heat to hatch a chick- 
en. Greed is simply another name for a figurative devil. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 3/ 

It is material prosperity that is held out as the reward 
of a literal education which is called knowledge, but it is 
the mere picture of natural knowledge, which can only 
be comprehended by the spirit that the devil has never 
been able to conquer. He advertises the most dazzling 
prospects that a child can be deceived by, after learning 
the danger of continuing to fall. The child's confidence 
in natural education cannot be betrayed in whatever its 
primitive intelligence comprehends. The effort to mis- 
lead a child by literal instruction in advance of its natu- 
ral experience will produce the very contrarity that one 
often seeks to avoid. 

The child is a bundle of concrete truth (not truths) 
and God is responsible for its purity. It is blasphemy to 
impugn any impurity to the spiritual character of the 
child. If it inherit any germs of evil they are derived 
from the material body of the parents that neither God 
nor the child, a spiritual unity, is responsible for. (This 
writing is not even a tentative negation of theology, or 
established institutions, but it is the privilege of genius 
to demonstrate the truth by whatever method or terms 
that experience dictates.) 

The privilege of a pedant to dissimulate and exhibit 
a knowledge of pagan logic by which a fact can be lit- 
erally proved to be a myth, will not disturb the unity of 
God, spirit, Nature, and the truth. When a word can be 
found to express sense, it will be after the devil and the 
political dissembler overcome the power of God. 

If a person is so trained himself that he is positively 
unable to comprehend plain, simple facts, it would be 
more than useless to discuss with him the relation of 
teacher to the taught. A teacher by virtue of his office 
assumes that he is able to improve the child, and the 



38 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

child must submit at first by pretence also, that his natu- 
ral education is at fault, when literal education can ac- 
complish for the child the same orthodox prejudice that 
the symbol of truth is the superlative of truth itself. 
Such a teacher could scarcely take kindly, as friend to 
friend, in a Christian spirit, to the affirmative that natural 
education is the superlative of every method of education. 
It could be pronounced absurd and a child whipped or 
scolded until its will was made to yield a complete sub- 
serviency to the teacher. Besides, two teachers will dis- 
agree radically and both agree that experience, practi- 
cally natural education, was more dangerous than what 
they were disputing about. The average child possesses 
abstract reasoning ability sufficient to trust its own natu- 
ral conceptions before it will trust either of the teachers 
who are not able to teach each other. A hypothesis ar- 
rayed against an experience, providing the experience 
was admitted to be an actual sense conception, would be 
an absurdity; yet it is analogous to a doubt that natural 
education was the only real education there was. The 
unity of God, Spirit and Nature once established in the 
individual mind, only one teacher, the Teacher of all 
things, would be recognized. 

In the complexity of words education, training, instruc- 
tion and culture, could be embraced in the human insti- 
tutions of learning to the entire exclusion of any term 
representing spiritual education. If esoteric literature 
has long since settled their simple observations, there is 
certainly a demand in consequence of the present social 
debauchery for an exoteric literature that will permit of 
the common people corresponding with each other intel- 
ligently. To contend against any economy of education 
would be a revelation to the credulous, who have not 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 39 

only been trained religiously to believe that education 
could only be transmitted by a mediator, but also to 
maintain the scheme, a principle of reproach must neces- 
sarily be cast upon the most perfect work of God — an in- 
nocent child. If anything- in pagan literature can be 
found more atheistic than what the present esoteric text 
books contain, which are taught in public schools, they 
have yet to appear and prove that natural education as 
taught direct from the Creator of all things, is a com- 
plete failure. 

It is not necessary for a person who is willing to earn 
his own living to study biology, anthropology, psychology 
and the other ologies too numerous to mention, but study 
a babe and notice if education by proxy ever produced 
such a bundle of truth, which public school text books 
teach to be a "bundle of selfishness," which is also true; 
but with the exception by inference and precepts that 
human educators are willing to sacrifice themselves in 
teaching the child to become unselfish enough to protect 
the present conditions of society. 

The most selfish person is one who tries to teach the 
virtue of unselfishness for fear the luxuries of life will 
be exhausted, and he will be obliged to practice what he 
preaches. An educator may be sincere in purpose, but 
the child even who can read cannot be continually de- 
ceived when the purpose is a continuity of disappoint- 
ment in reviewing the pictures of prosperity which are 
just as figurative as literal education is to the real and 
natural. Besides, superficial happiness is just as much a 
myth as the pictures of facts, and shows the same rela- 
tion as literal education to the natural. 

A child's weakness in sense development is not able 
to comprehend abstract reasonings in the speculative 



40 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

effort to employ words to transcend their source. It can 
therefore be misled when its confiding and natural dis- 
position to imitate every observation it is able to make, 
is taken advantage of to justify some theory of its pre- 
decessors. It would not be materially satisfactory to re- 
verse the convictions of predecessors upon their rela- 
tions to the new arrival, but to an unprejudiced mind it 
might be worth considering at least. It would there- 
fore be a radical departure from convictions that are de- 
clared settled before the new arrival. Thus the child, 
having no voice previous to its birth, would be no party 
to its own destiny, which was apparently settled before 
it was born. That is, he must accept whatever method 
of education his predecessors in the immediate vicinity of 
his birth had "settled" without consulting his wishes at 
all. It could scarcely be questioned but that a person's 
wickedness was attained after he was born, and from the 
records of history there is plenty of evidence that our 
predecessors were not wholly free from guile. Now if 
the child was born with the ability to generalize and rea- 
son abstractly, he could scarcely come to any other con- 
clusion than it was a misfortune he was born. 

With this in view, and also realizing that natural 
knowledge was at least prior to any literally acquired, the 
conclusion again would show that evil and wickedness 
were more the result of literal education than the natural. 
Another conclusion still more important as reflecting 
upon the child's dependence upon its parents and teach- 
ers from their greater accumulation of intellectual ail- 
ments, shows the child in its true light in possession of 
spiritual sense with its feeble natural acquirements as 
more directly the representative of God than either its 
parents or would-be teachers. If all the old, musty 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 4I 

theorems of the past were consigned to the junk heap, 
it might gradually dawn upon the conservative disposi- 
tion of abstract society that the child was more the 
teacher than the taught. If God rules the universe, 
which is scarcely denied by anyone, it could not be 
proved to the contrary but that the child is the real medi- 
ator in the field of reform and redemption. It could 
scarcely be possible that an orthodox of crystalized con- 
victions would admit that the child was the real spiritual 
teacher. It would be equally as impossible, if such is 
not the fact, to logically explain how the world could 
have possibly attained its present growth if the wicked- 
ness of society could actually control the cardinal prin- 
ciple of education. The teacher of any character would 
expose his insincerity to contend against the economy of 
education. This being admitted, it would form the 
groundwork of studying the actual relation between the 
spiritual and the literal and observe with what care the 
syllogism of pagan logic had been woven into Christian 
precepts. For instance : experience, observation and con- 
clusion would present a syllogism of some universal ben- 
efit, while to assume a premise to be a fact founded upon 
material of literal agreement among the scholastic 
learned would be a biased performance, and the conclu- 
sion of such a sylogism would be as false as the premise. 
This would answer for discussion between learned pro- 
fessors whose avowed object was the seeking of truth, 
but really a disguise to hide material interests. A child, 
however, guided by its spiritual inspiration of sense, 
would not be deceived by a literal premise to reach a con- 
clusive truth, for the child would not be convinced that 
the word candy was as sweet as the taste of it. The 
effort to dominate the illiterate by the acquirement of 



42 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

words and a system of learning called knowledge in imi- 
tation of the natural, is a prerogative from the heathen 
and practiced to the present day by reason of material 
benefit. The ability of the learned to establish rules of 
education in the name of Christianity makes it a strong- 
hold that appears impregnable, and no doubt the pedant 
really believes in transcendentalism, for however much 
the literary learned dispute over methods of education, 
none are willing in any considerable number to admit 
that natural intelligence always precedes the literal or 
artificially acquired. The victims must have courage 
enough to emancipate themselves before the principle of 
natural education will be acknowledged, for the path of 
courage is necessarily thorny, but it leads to the straight 
road of faith as sure as gravitation. Material prosperity 
is held by the average literal educator to be the reward of 
goodness and poverty the punishment of evil, but facts 
would have to be proved false before such a conclusion 
could be reached, for natural education is from the bot- 
tom upward, while literal education is from the top 
downward. Besides, at no period of the world's history 
did the dominant society ever "lift up" anyone without 
charging more than it was worth, while to get up free of 
expense the way is always clear to anyone who is willing 
to trust God and his natural education rather than get 
caught in the net of art. 

Again, natural education is sense experience and the 
alternative of choice between good and evil is embraced 
in the free will, which the child learns from its first fall, 
or whatever obstruction it runs against. The child in its 
weakness can be taught anything, but nothing more mis- 
leading than that the child is the ward of society and de- 
pendent upon its predecessors, when the fact is the two 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 43 

ends of a logical proposition were shifted for a political 
purpose, for in reality society is as dependent upon the 
child as the human race is upon its Creator. Such a situ- 
ation could be called pantheism; it certainly is not trans- 
cendentalism that depends upon the artifice of words for 
its sandy foundation. 

The weakness of a child for sweets and whatever 
tempts the desires is often shown by educators as proof 
of its dependence upon parents to teach it mere symbols 
of facts from the attraction of letters and pictures. It cer- 
tainly proves the weakness of the child for attractive 
symbols, but the child is as much stronger than the pa- 
rent or teacher in what pertains to the truth, as the dif- 
ference between the spiritual and material conditions. 
After the confidence of the child is betrayed it becomes 
a passive victim to the will of others, or an uncertain 
proposition that depends upon his courage to maintain 
his spiritual endowment that he obtained at birth. What- 
ever may be said or written against concrete education 
in favor of the abstract, it should always be noticed that 
no literal system was ever able to teach a child the 
knowledge of its own birth. 



44 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER V. 



LITERAL EDUCATION. 



n^HE relation of the literal to the natural is the relation 
■■- of the material to the spiritual. The object of educa- 
tion is to impart knowledge, and knowledge being experi- 
ence, whatever false teaching denies the truth of knowl- 
edge, proves its own falseness by claiming its specific 
method is a necessary education to advance the civiliza- 
tion of humanity. If false premises must be maintained 
by the fiat of human judgment, the conclusions must 
necesssarily be as false as the premise when, by the rules 
of logic, knowledge also would be false. If the trouble is 
in the premie why not start from spiritual sense, the only 
real education that was ever revealed to humanity ? From 
sense o experience the conclusion would, in proportion to 
the willingness to admit the premise, be as true as the 
premise. 

Personality is the most sacred institution that God 
ever permitted to dwell upon the face of the earth, be- 
sides the man is not compelled to remain any longer than 
he is willing to. The first education the child receives 
is strictly spiritual, even before it becomes acquainted 
with its mother, and in some cases it never knows any 
parents other than the touch of spirit that gives it life 
and understanding. The exclusive spiritual education of 
the child transcends in importance any material educa- 
tion that it can possibly receive, and its introduction 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 45 

to literal possibilities is derived from its first fall. What 
is important for anyone to consider who has been edu- 
cated to believe that his conception of thoughts and 
ability to think were taught to him by his parents, that 
in the absence of spiritual education no ground-work of 
comparison would exist for literal efforts to build upon. 
The effort to avoid any explanation of difference between 
the spiritual and literal education, betrays a deliberate 
purpose to maintain pagan prerogatives and from the 
ability to build ideal foundations of a temporal charac- 
ter, seek to prove that knowledge was only possible by 
literal education and whatever temple dominant man 
chose to build, it would supersede the spiritual temple 
not made with hands. 

The effort to educate a child to confound its spiritual 
education, that established the principle of good and evil 
before letters or pictures were known to exist, is equiva- 
lent to breaking a child's legs to prevent it from walk- 
ing. The supposition that the child or humanity would 
never find it out except through the mediation of literal 
education is the greatest mistake that literary wisdom or 
human teachers ever made. The very effort to disprove 
spiritual education as distinct from literal conveyance 
suggests a suspicion that educators for commercial 
profit know more than they are willing to admit. 

All literal educators have to offer in competition with 
the spiritual, vv^hich never entirely leaves a person while 
he is alive, is material reward, for the communion of 
spirit is so completely separate from literal communica- 
tion that no exchange of traffic was ever established. The 
real exchange that makes for the activity of life is be- 
tween the child and parent. The child reflects the spir- 
itual education and the parent and teacher the literal or 



46 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

the material. The former is the truth that can always be 
depended upon, while the latter is uncertain until proved 
by experience which is really a return to the spiritual 
foundation. The persistent effort of the child to cling 
to its first conceptions of the truth is so remarkable as 
to scarcely escape the notice of the parent, who will be 
reproved by the child at the least attempt to practice an 
untruth in its presence. 

Every person is taught that the truth is the essential 
end of all educational effort, but to convince a child that 
a literal truth is the equivalent of a spiritual truth, the 
assistance of the devil, taught to children as an evil spirit, 
is accepted ; a sacrilege, however, to apply the word spirit 
to the true and false both. It helps to confound the com- 
prehension of children and forms the basis of misleading 
them with material attractions. 

Experience is a constant reminder of spiritual influ- 
ence, but if a child or adult accepts the literal as an in- 
terpretation of the spiritual, the straight road to destruc- 
tion will be clear of obstacles. To follow the experi- 
ence of our predecessors in accord with literal precepts, 
which educators are constantly parading for commercial 
profits and material reward, is to lose sight of the sim- 
plicity of spiritual influence that never costs anything 
but willingness. 

A critic or educator will always expose his motive to 
a careful observer, and the more he tries to disguise it 
the more plainly it will be revealed. This is precisely the 
situation when a professor of psychology attempts to 
prove that the child is dependent upon its knowledge of 
God from either its parents or teacher, and also that a 
debt of duty is owed to dominant society for its being 
taught how to enjoy the bounties of the earth in peace 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 47 

and happiness. The trouble with these two propositions 
is, neither of them is true, for a person's own experi- 
ence reveals that he obtained this knowledge before he 
knew one word of speech. Besides the effort to endow 
the soul and mind with organic substances reveals a lit- 
eral principle derived from mythology in justification of 
the dominant authority of the strongest man to rule the 
weak. If a person choose to believe what he is taught 
literally against what he is taught spiritually, his privi- 
lege of will permits him to surrender to the stronger 
will of another. 

If a man have interest enough in himself to study bio- 
logy — the science of life — and courage enough to be 
guided by what he learns, he will grow in spite of all the 
opposition that literal efforts can hurl against him. Such 
is spiritual education direct from God, and the fact that 
psychologists know it, is the reason they won't admit it. 
The laborious effort to avoid noticing natural growth, or 
education, except with irony and often in open derision, 
while giving the greatest prominence to literal educa- 
tion, certainly reflects a motive other than philanthropic. 
The pedagogue who loved humanity with the same ardor 
as he loved himself, would certainly admit some virtue in 
the silent teaching of God, rather than so promptly ex- 
plain how all that was good in life was due to literal edu- 
cation, and all that was evil was due to the natural and 
direct communion with spirit without recognizing the 
proxy of the pedagogue who always demanded money or 
service for his avowed purpose in seeking to lift the 
weaklings of humanity up, not to his own height, but 
near enough to be more serviceable to himself. 

Education is such a broad principle that it even in- 
cludes wickedness, and when the child arrives at adult 



48 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

understanding, and discovers that his inspiration was 
only indirectly derived from his parents and teachers, he 
is thrown out to shift for himself, when his "friends" a 
little higher up draw the curtains and expose the de- 
bauchery of abstract society and explain that it is the 
material reward that the naturally educated are not per- 
mitted to enjoy. Is it strange that the temptation is too 
powerful to be always resisted, when there are so many 
examples to influence the will? If personality is the tem- 
ple of God, the devil has a seductive way of getting 
possession. 

It is absurd for any person to attempt to teach another 
that he is mistaken in his own experience, yet it is often 
attempted. A parent can silence a child and lose its con- 
fidence, but it cannot convince it by simply commanding 
it to forget its own experience. Spiritual education is 
strictly silent, and the noise of literal education can shut 
the mouth of experience, but it will crop out again as 
sure as a smoldering fire will find the surface. A person 
who refuses to be guided by his own experience, which 
is the only knowledge that literal education does not 
teach, cannot be convinced of what he knows ; what 
might be possible for literal education to accomplish 
would be to persuade a person to admit either in word 
or action what he did know, instead of teaching a method 
of hiding it for material benefit. 

There is nothing in the Bible that literally records 
spiritual inspiration that justifies any person by his own 
fiat in claiming a specific inspiration that every human be- 
ing by virtue of his own experience would be equally 
justified in claiming. The idea was derived from the pa- 
gans and exposed by Socrates four hundred years be- 
fore Christ was crucified. Dominant rulers never seek 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 49 

the truth, but how to keep it hidden is what their term 
of ruHng depends upon. Socrates was poisoned for 
teaching the common inspiration of humanity. Christ 
taught and exemplified the same principle, and it was 
apparently honestly recorded by the scribes of Scripture 
who claimed no special inspiration for themselves, but 
it was accorded to them by the Roman Empire for politi- 
cal reasons after the scribes were dead. Thus pagan pre- 
rogatives have no more place in the Scriptures than a 
thief would have in heaven. 

That "the wish is father to the thought" illustrates the 
effort of pedagogues to continue to insist that literal edu- 
cation is correcting the evils of Nature by first proclaim- 
ing that the Creator deals out Nature in the rough The 
mistake will never be admitted by any who are seeking 
material profit by cultivating the mistake. The depend- 
ence upon followers is the only principle by which ab- 
stract society can exist; the truth being a secondary con- 
sideration to material attraction, and no method was ever 
more successful in the science of teaching than to teach 
a system or doctrine by which the obligations to Nature 
could be evaded. 

Every mistake is a figurative "fall," by which the 
"Apple of Knowledge" is reached in the effort to rise 
again. To obtain knowledge on the do-nothing principle 
is to meet consequences that were omitted in the con- 
tract. It is the abuse of literal tools in like manner to 
the abuse of a hammer which can construct and also de- 
stroy ; besides literal tools are no more knowledge than 
hammers and saws are houses. When the pedagogue 
and politician are found to be a myth, the real usefulness 
of literal education will become more obvious, and what 
is difficult to learn now will become vastly more simple. 



50 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

If a person would lay aside his ambition for material 
acquirements and cultivated bias, against natural educa- 
tion, his natural intelligence could, providing he was 
willing, reveal the fact that God — Spirit — is the only 
dispenser of knowledge. The pretence of man in thrust- 
ing himself upon the credulous as a necessary proxy 
is more to prevent such from finding out the very thing 
they pretend to teach. There would be no objection to 
a proxy providing he did not seek to compel his client to 
accept the service. If a man is wilfully determined to 
stay down, no proxy could lift him spiritually, and for 
that reason he could never discover what true knowledge 
was. 

If it would be admitted that natural knowledge was 
all there was, the abstracts, and sub-abstracts could 
stand upon their own merits and literal education could 
be taught in an economical manner, when its simplicity 
would become more apparent. For example : if a person 
was approaching toward a fire and the situation kept 
getting hotter, he could feel pretty sure he was going 
in the right direction to be destroyed. Also if a person 
was really willing to search for the truth, and the signs, 
literal or otherwise, continued to grow more favorable, 
he could continue progressing with confidence. It would 
all depend, however, whether a man had courage 
enough to move on without a proxy, for such a person- 
age would jump at any new proposition that promised a 
greater material reward, if that was the motive, rather 
than a spiritual reward. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 5 1 



CHAPTER VI. 



PEDAGOGY. 



'T^ALSE prophets" and "false teachers" are severely 
•^ reproved in Scripture, which proves at least that 
such persons have been, and are recognized. The great 
point is, can it be possible for a person to become so 
learned as to sincerely believe that he can dissemble in 
the presence of mere natural ability without betraying 
himslf? There must be an object of some character in 
view of the present extravagant system of abstract edu- 
cation being psuhed beyond all bounds of reason. To be 
"educated" suggests the query, what for? 

In all kindness toward each other, it should be recog- 
nized that personal responsibility embraces judgment to 
the extent of the responsibility, for that reason after ad- 
mitting the natural education which admits of personal 
judgment, by what rule or from what authority can a 
person claim a right to judge another? It is not from 
Scripture that such presumption is recognized. The 
Bible is very explicit upon this point, and any attempt 
of a pedant to protect his own personality by hiding be- 
hind precepts would all the more expose him to a child. 

The authority of the state and abstract society, which 
is commonly termed "Society" without qualifying the 
word, presents a different problem since the "divine 
rights of Kings" were exploded by the American Revolu- 
tion. The pedagogue must fall back upon the apotheosis 
vanity of the ancients who, with their esoteric ability, 



52 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

even made and unmade Kings. It is the very first prin- 
ciple of present conditions to demand credentials from a 
self-elect commander. What humanity is hungry for, 
is fact, and not complex words mounted upon a swivel 
which plays one tune in public and another in private. 
The state and society, by the right of selection are ab- 
stract powers derived from concrete humanity, over 
which a Higher Power rules. Mere precepts in the ab- 
sence of examples, are as empty as a poor man's pockets. 

It is certainly a privilege of the new-born babe to open 
its mouth without being dependent upon a pedagogue, or 
asking permission. If there is any fundamental principle 
of human life more important, it does not detract from 
the necessary dependence of both state and society upon 
that trifling circumstance. It is a synthesis that com- 
mands attention before the prerogatives of predecessors 
can be considered. The new-born babe is a messenger 
from God, whether his predecessors choose to recognize 
him as a slave to serve at the command of others or not, 
it is certain that he commands the situation at the start. 

If the pedagogue thinks that God strews the earth with 
humanity for his material benefit, he would do well to lay 
aside his pagan literature for a brief season and read the 
Bible, just to refresh his memory, for his early Christian 
diet may have escaped him. Christ's teaching, even if it 
was mysterious, showed more respect for children than 
the average pedagogue of the present day, for he did not 
discriminate in proclaiming that unless "Ye become as 
a little child, etc." The theorem that the child depends 
upon the parent is only half true, and the silence in re- 
gard to the more important half in order to make the 
truth whole is what the learned pedagogue does not care 
to read about when it disturbs his material interest. He 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 53 

can appeal to the fears of the parent, and explain the 
helplessness of the child, besides not forgetting to charge 
a good round sum for his advice in the interest of modern 
culture. It is also very comforting to have expectations 
expanded if the child's training is properly attended to. 
The silence, however, in regard to the protection the 
child receives direct from its Creator is ominous ; it sug- 
gests a purpose, the economy of which being withheld 
from the parent enables the pedagogue to appropriate 
the entire credit of the child's present and future also. 

It is no reflection upon the literal ability of a learned 
pedagogue, in fact, it is a recognition of his being able 
to point to modern civilization and picture to the credu- 
lous mind what might have been if progress in knowl- 
edge had been withheld from humanity. It could be 
added with some profit, perhaps, that the privilege of only 
a few to profit by the "apple" of discord was the most 
potent feature of knowledge. The initiative character of 
literal education is more noisy and profound than the 
natural model from which it is copied ; its greater promi- 
nence makes it appear more necessary even than the real. 

The simple fact that no amount of teaching is equiva- 
lent to a single experience, makes the pedagogue a dis- 
sembler if he seeks to protect the rigidity of rules and 
form, as essential to the distribution of knowledge. 
While esthetics is equally a privilege with knowledge it 
can be extravagantly set forth to attract the confidence 
for the purpose of betraying it. It is not the fault of the 
child or the ignorant adult even, that he can be taught 
or trained to obey the command of the pedagogue any 
more than it is the fault of a child to fall down in trying 
to walk. As this is the cardinal principle of obtaining 
real knowledge, it is just as much slavery to pretend to 



54 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

teach literal signs to disguise the fundamental principle 
from which all knowledge is derived. 

Nature extends credit on demand, but it is quite an- 
other affair to even attempt to escape payment; slight 
warnings can be obtained by the venturesome, and the 
pedagogue can pretend to teach a child how to jump 
his obligations to Nature, and transfer them to himself, 
but quite often the child discovers when it is too late that 
Nature has to be settled with whether the pedagogue was 
sincere or not. It is this inflexible character of Nature 
that the child wants explained. It is evident from the 
perplexing questions of a child that it often knows more 
than the pedagogue who frequently appears to the child 
the equal of its Creator. If the child must fall to obtain 
knowledge, which the pedagogue even must know if he 
knows how to read, what right has he to betray the con- 
fidence of a child to protect some theoretic hobby of his 
own? The child is his superior in spiritual knowledge if 
he really believes that after God bestowed spiritual 
knowledge to a child and then betrayed its confidence by 
designing a proxy to teach the child that imitation 
knowledge was more important than the real. 

It is the birthright of every human being that can feel 
by their own experience the difference between hot and 
cold, to assert as often as they can experience anything, 
that knowledge is a cardinal fact of intrinsic value, be- 
sides, that natural education is all there is or ever was. 
The invention of signs to portray thoughts, enabling hu- 
manity to correspond and enter into trade relation, never 
added a fraction to knowledge. By reason of the flexible 
character of human organs, the child can be taught es- 
thetics of every variety, and also indulgences as readily 
as merchandise can be sold at a bargain store, but that is 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 55 

the limit, pertaining only to natural things. But in spir- 
ituality there is no evidence since the earth was inhab- 
ited more reliable than the ability of a babe to open its 
mouth with its feeble testimony, that God is the only spir- 
itual educator that the "world" has ever known, and the 
Bible is the best literal record of the fact that the entire 
literature of the world ever produced. 

People can object on credit to whatever they choose, 
but when they object to a settlement, the material organs 
will be powerless to prevent it. The pedagogue can pre- 
scribe remedies, teach generalities and prove literally 
that abstracts are new creations, but the silent spirit will 
not be analyzed by any literal method that must first 
show a better title to the privilege than a babe that can 
open its mouth. The clerical class of humanity — the lit- 
erary class — the professional class, constitute the "man of 
letters" simply learned in the application of words to 
facts, in technical parlance it is symbolism, as distinct 
from the natural and spiritual, as matter is from life. 
The ultra learned in symbolism have always tried to 
maintain a relation to spirit of a controlling character 
that the unlettered man appeared powerless to contend 
against. It also gave the semblance of fact from the 
reason that symbolism (practically idolatry) had such a 
remarkable influence over the simple minded or the un- 
lettered class. In the very early days the men of let- 
ters were apotheosized by the very ability to comprehend 
them. Natural knowledge was simply transcended by the 
literal and to the timid, art appeared to transcend Na- 
ture. Even the artificer could possibly be deceived by 
the success of his schemes. 

It appeared to be overlooked that the learning of let- 
ters was a common privilege bestowed upon the entire 



56 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

human race, otherwise the greed of man would have de- 
stroyed the entire race before the Christian era was 
reached. Wars were always inaugurated by the ultra 
learned in contention against the influence of the mod- 
erately learned who dared to advocate the common privi- 
lege of learning. The illiterate had no idea of what they 
wanted until they got a taste of it, and the same situa- 
tion exists at the present time. It is idle for anyone to 
pretend that the ultra learned are willing to acknowledge 
a common privilege to the possession of knowledge. That 
is, the pedagogue would not forsake his own calling by 
teaching that natural knowledge was as potent as his 
symbolism, or that his teaching was only a transmission 
of the natural for his own and his compeers' material 
benefit. 

Education as a means of common communication has 
been vigorously opposed by example, for after it was dis- 
covered that common humanity was born with lan- 
guage, that could not be smothered, extravagant methods 
of classifications were adopted to accomplish the same 
end. The fact remains that all methods of enslaving the 
apparently defenceless are only temporal, either by peda- 
gogues or slave owners. Literal education enables a per- 
son to hide his selfishness, by advocating education with 
the inference that the ultra learned are striving to edu- 
cate the masses. There is a spiritual education that will 
crop out that makes man's pretension always a failure. 
It points to the fact that the spiritual Teacher is undis- 
turbed by the presumption of the pedagogue who teaches 
the necessity of a proxy in order to protect his own busi- 
ness. 

It is generally understood to take the property of an- 
other is stealing. The privilege of animals to take what- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 57 

ever they need to sustain life is admitted to be the right 
of instinct. It naturally follows that a man must know 
that he is taking the property belonging to another be- 
fore he could be classed as a superior being to the brute. 
A brute therefore, in order to be what the word "brute" 
signifies must be utterly unconscious that he is one, which 
would throw the responsibility of calling another "a 
brute" upon the first person rather than the second. It 
is no secret that brutes can be taught obedience and be 
compelled to serve a master who is privileged to treat 
them as property, and also enjoy the service The same 
principle was applied to human beings who lacked the 
means of defence, and the mere calling a man a brute 
was the only justification for one man taking the services 
of another man, in exchange for whatever the taker 
chose to render. Such was the old style of slavery. 

It is slowly dawning upon the entire human race that 
knowledge was revealed to individual man at birth and 
only by a specific system of education can a single person 
be convinced that he is mistaken. The pedagogue who 
would teach obedience and sell precepts for cash to a 
willing pupil or compelled to appear willing, while he, 
the pedagogue, did not choose to practice his own teach- 
ing, would be taking property without rendering an 
equivalent ; practically stealing because the teacher would 
know his precepts were worthless to whatever extent he 
failed to practice them himself. At least, even if the pre- 
cepts were virtuous, he could not hide his propensity to 
steal when he was selling second-hand virtue to another, 
that by his own acts showing that virtue was not a pro- 
duct of literal knowledge. 



58 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER VII. 



SCIENCE. 



TT would be as difficult to explain how science could be 
-*- literally taught as for educators to agree upon what 
constituted education. It is this vagueness which is 
acknowledged by the very persons who profess to be edu- 
cators and frequently uphold compulsory education, that 
betrays a hidden intention ; while the very act of trying 
to conceal something attracts the attention and suggests 
the thought that the concealment is a scientific method 
to reveal the object. 

While a science can be taught, science proper is as un- 
teachable as knowledge proper. One might as well pre- 
tend to teach love, virtue, sense, or teach a corpse to 
breathe, as to to teach the concrete principle of science. 
The commercial profit of education makes it extremely 
hazardous for an educator to betray the business. It is 
a science of the greatest importance to obtain customers 
for whatever business from which a person chooses to 
obtain a living. It would not be scientific to establish a 
department store on a desolate island ; neither would it 
be prudent for a man choosing to earn his living by edu- 
cating others, to teach his customers they obtained all 
the protoplasm of science and knowledge at birth they 
would ever have which depended upon individual will 
and external influences for possible development, also 
courage that was not a purchasable feature. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 59 

To teach the simple fact that the intrinsic value of sci- 
ence and knowledge was bestowed upon the individual 
by the Creator would detract from the commercial profit 
of education. The merchant always aims to make his 
goods attractive, and the rule would equally apply to the 
educator. That the educator has no greater claim to 
purity of purpose or that his goods are other than ma- 
terial in character is proof enough when he omits to 
teach the whole truth about his goods. The realm of 
science is admitted to be limited to material things, the 
gulf between spirit and matter has never been bridged. 
It is the realm of theology and whatever differences are 
literally disputed with science and entwined in the prin- 
ciple of education it does not justify the forced sale of 
conclusions to a credulous humanity. 

If it was a voluntary privilege to purchase education 
from disputing educators it would not be a serious mat- 
ter, but when the whole truth is withheld, and the people 
are forced to pay for what Christ taught free, it throws 
light upon the conflict. The jealous care which educa- 
tors pursue for fear the simple truth will be taught with 
economy, suggests a fear that the common people would 
spoil the commercial benefit by becoming as knowing as 
their teachers. 

It is just as honorable to sell education as it is to sell 
merchandise, but when a person is obliged to economize 
in one case to meet the compulsory demand in the other, 
it is not what the Bible teaches. 

It could be objected to by the assertion that the Bible 
did teach compulsory discipline by the "settled" inter- 
pretations of the Scriptures, but it couldn't be proved 
that a person is denied by Scriptures the privilege of 
reading the Bible and determining by the reading itself 



6o THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

just what the book did teach. If moral suasion is not one 
of the special features of the Bible and also its sim- 
plicity of understanding, it would never have survived 
the political effort to destroy it. It even outlives politi- 
cal commercialism that has ever tried to hide among its 
numerous precepts. Science, knowledge and experience 
relate to the discovery of something that must, as a mat- 
ter of fact, have a previous existence, thus education can- 
not be more than an abstract. When the histories of won- 
derful inventions are considered, which were in most all 
cases combatted by the learned of the period, it should 
point to birth as the most wonderful knowledge that a 
person ever experiences. The continuance of experi- 
ence is the event of a new birth just as surprising and 
unexpected as the first experience. It is just as much a 
scientific discovery that words can disprove whatever 
words can express, as the discovery of intelligence 
enough to make corresponding signs that reveal social 
communications. The effort that educators make to 
prove their theories, in whatever abstract education they 
are interested, betrays a hidden purpose in seeking to es- 
tablish a dependency of the child upon society. Adult 
persons often appear to be sincere in believing that what 
they "know to be a fact" is simply absurd for anyone to 
contradict. While there is a mutual dependence of both, 
the whole truth is to take advantage of the child's ina- 
bility to defend itself. The child, however, has a prior 
claim to experience and spiritual knowledge from which 
all literal knowledge is a mere abstract. Besides, the 
child reared to an adult age, can exist independent of so- 
ciety, which in turn cannot exist except for its units in 
their very effort to hide it, for fear makes it possible, 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 6l 

when a continuity of birth reveals the source of knowl- 
edge to be spiritual rather than literal. 

The subterfuge by which the educator evades the fact 
does not in any sense detract from the intrinsic value of 
either knowledge or education, for silence does not con- 
stitute ignorance. Fear, however, is one of the most im- 
portant factors of scientific study that the human race 
has to deal with. Education as a science and adopted by 
an educator as a means of livelihood, betrays the dual 
character of fear by exposing his own in not only teach- 
ing the natural phenomenon of fear, but exemplifying 
the principle. That is, he betrays his own selfishness in 
his very effort to hide it, for fear makes it possible to 
mislead another while it is fear also that suggests the act 
of misleading. It is only from an appeal to fear, that 
any profit could be obtained in teaching abstract educa- 
tion. To attempt to teach a child experience would be 
absurd, while on the other hand its future possibilities 
can be crushed like the breaking of an egg, when to re- 
pair the damage would be as impossible as to teach ex- 
perience. 

The science of letters was derived from the same prim- 
itive utterance that every human birth is endowed with, 
and it appears as a reasonable speculation to consider a 
child so carefully reared upon a plane where there was 
no danger of falling, when every efifort of the child to 
walk or raise itself was carefully guarded, the sense of 
fear could only be deducted from observation, thus in the 
absence of a fall the real sense of fear could not be 
taught to the child by any process of signs or words. Its 
imitative faculty could possibly enable it to speak the 
word fear, but it could never know what the word meant 



62 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

without a corresponding sensation to compare the word 
with. 

There seems to be a united purpose in all educational 
writings to deprive the child of its title to the origin of 
language at birth. The universal effort to hide the fact 
is very strong evidence that writers know what they are 
hiding, for to admit that knowledge was only possible 
by experience derived from a fall would make tyrants, 
task-masters and politicians quake with fear. The appar- 
ent non-resistence of childhood is analogous to the adult 
slave that was treated as a mere animal or irrational be- 
ing. That educational writers, practically in command 
of the present educational system, insist upon giving 
the ancients credit for discovering knowledge that we 
should be duly grateful for, hides the same purpose of 
the early educators. 

The profit derived from treating knowledge as a com- 
mercial commodity makes its economy depend upon the 
fear of its victims, precisely the same as chattel slavery 
was modified in proportion to the courage of the slave 
in refusing to be enslaved. The fall of the infant in its 
effort to walk surely points to a recognition of the su- 
perior charcater of the spiritual or natural education over 
the literal, which never had a real existence except as an 
abstract from the real. 

Abstract education produces an abstract society which 
has always destroyed itself by its own voluntary corrup- 
tion, while concrete society profits in proportion as it 
avoids the mistakes of its predecessors rather than emu- 
late them. Evil is defined as "having bad natural quali- 
ties," but the temporal character of evil compared with 
the spiritual character of knowledge, which to be spir- 
itual knowledge must be good and true, shows the 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 6^ 

effort of educators to apotheosize themselves by literal 
correspondence. The past history of dominant society is 
not very flattering to the success of present social condi- 
tions. It points to a serious mistake of educators in their 
continued efforts to transcend the natural by their literal 
ability to declare by their own fiat that the natural is 
€vil. 

Educators who pose as such could scarcely be so defi- 
cient in judgment not to notice that their persistence 
in contending against natural knowledge has always been 
a stern chase. Every birth is a messenger from God in 
rebuttal to the literary theory that the child's future de- 
pends upon a strict obedience to the accumulated knowl- 
edge of its predecessors. There are plenty of personal ex- 
amples recognized to be in good standing in dominant 
society that would not be in a worse plight if they could 
return to their natural or even aboriginal state. If such 
conditions are due to natural environments, it is poor 
encouragement for a thoughtful child to follow in the 
footsteps of its predecessors. 

The latest suggestions in a prominent text-book writ- 
ten by an educator of note is the necessity of breaking 
the will of the child in its cradle that it may learn the im- 
portance of obedience and reverence toward its superiors 
in wisdom. If a more rapid rate of race suicide could be 
suggested, it would necessarily embrace the instruction 
to parents identified with dominant society to refrain 
from the annoyance of progeny altogether. It would 
certainly accord with pagan prerogatives from which 
source the larger portion of literal precepts are derived. 
There is no form of blasphemy more pernicious than the 
extravagant use of words for the purpose of giving to 
man's works a visionary supercedure over the works of 



64 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

God. However obvious it may be to the laymen, nothing 
but silence from a literary standpoint seems to offer any 
avenue of escape from slavish submission. The Bible, 
however, is an unbiased record of the unseen, entirely 
free from politics or commercialism. Its multitude of 
compendiums and interpretations is more to console the 
interests of dominant society than to enlighten the sim- 
ple-minded reader. It is a self-revealing fact that the 
most humble and lowly cannot be deprived of, for if 
every Book could be destroyed it would spring into life 
again from traditional memory. God never forsakes the 
child after the touch of spirit reveals His presence. Ma- 
terial punishment follows a neglect of the will, and just 
in proportion as the will is crushed, responsibility ceases. 
Literature is the record of human experiences, it is all 
derived from spiritual revelations, and except for the 
perverting effort of vain-glorious man in his acquire- 
ments of a superabundance of literal implements, natural 
revelations would mean exactly what the spiritual stands 
for. Experience is birth, the equivalent of science and 
knowledge both. Experience is as unexpected as birth, 
and the effort of the literal educator to cultivate the will 
(by crushing it) or teach experience to a babe is as im- 
possible as to teach an earthquake how to behave. The 
science of education is so equally balanced between good 
conduct and bad conduct, that the action of the child is 
guided by the preponderance of either science, but the 
redeeming power of the sense of love transcends every 
literal invention that man ever discovered. If literal ef- 
forts could close the mouths of babes, before they could 
speak in the voice of God, the vast accumulation of lit- 
eral knowledge would become as silent as dead matter. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 65 



CHAPTER VIII. 

TEMPTATION. 

n^HE child is literally taught by its predecessors to pray, 
"Lead me not into temptation." It is spiritually taught 
by its Creator : "Lead me to contend against temptation." 
The former suggests the material, and some who might 
seek to conceal a bias would hold that the material in- 
cluded the natural. It is equally a privilege to hold that 
the spiritual includes the natural, besides being very im- 
portant if the rule of logic is to be respected. 
It remains to be proved whether literal instruc- 
tions are obeyed by Nature, while there is literal 
evidence even that was never impeached success- 
fully, that the spiritual and natural were other 
than the One principle by which existence is possible. 
Temptation is just as necessary to mental growth as the 
fall of a child is to the acquiring of knowledge. If 
temptation could be suspended entirely by literal educa- 
tors, which their instructions and writings often imply, it 
could readily be seen that no distinction could exist be- 
tween the animal and human. The effort to teach this 
principle is a reiteration of spiritual teaching and forms 
the most remarkable temptation that humanity has to 
contend against. If temptations were a mere figure of 
speech to illustrate what could be avoided by a strict obe- 
dience to literal teaching, the result would be the same as 
if no temptation existed. That is, if they were treated as 
stories to frighten children into obedience, the distinction 



66 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

between an animal and a rational being would be as im- 
possible as for a child to obtain knowledge without a 
fall. Because a person in the absence of experience per 
se cannot comprehend what another's actual experience 
might have been, it would be absurd to doubt it, and 
much more so to undertake to prove it on theoretic 
grounds. If the sacredness of personality had no pro- 
tection against the formulated theories of one's pre- 
decessors, the very animals could be envied their 
freedom by a child who is confused, in being taught 
obedience without any qualifications, and personal re- 
sponsibillity also. The inconsistencies of parents and 
adults are more quickly noticed by children than 
adults observe each other's, for the reason that adults 
grow more biased in opinion as they yield to tempta- 
tion and listen to contemporaries who present a bril- 
liant theory of how temptations were at fault, show- 
ing the necessity of even whipping children for imitat- 
ing their parents in what they would naturally flee 
from. God never forsakes the child in the communion 
of spirit ; and its petition for protection against mate- 
rial greed is more educational than all the literal ef- 
fort directed toward the destruction of temptation 
which is just as necessary to the growth of a child as 
its mouth is to take food. 

When theories predominate in the individual mind 
over experience it presents a condition that experience 
alone can demonstrate in precisely the same manner 
as the senses teach what to shun ; if such experience 
could be transmitted from parent to child, fear would 
predominate over the most brilliant temptation. 
These thoughts could be verified by a person having 
had a diversity of experience, and also observe the 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 67 

ridiculous effort of a devotee of theory to doubt the 
experience of another. That is, a person so devoted to 
literal acquirements that he would attempt to con- 
vince a child it was mistaken in an experience that 
might have occurred contrary to literal rules, which 
are often declared "settled" by predecessors. 

The effort to smother the experience of children by 
a confusing variety of temptations is the worst form 
of slavery that humanity has to contend with. It is 
due to the greed of educators more devoted to their 
personal profit than the welfare of the children. If 
what is termed a "willful child" can be brought into 
complete accord with literal authority, it becomes 
dead to further progress (this is a mere figure of 
speech, however, to show that the child is persuaded 
to accept second-hand literal authority in place of 
direct spiritual authority). Nothing but the severest 
experience can regenerate a person after he can be 
persuaded to choose material reward disguised in a 
promise for prospective spiritual reward. Experience 
will reveal what no amount of literal signs can con- 
tend against, for God never forsakes a human being for 
being misled, but when a person defies experience 
which is spiritual instruction, the punishment will 
follow with increased severity until life or death ter- 
minates the struggle. 

A good many educators and preachers can be left to 
exercise judgment upon their own acts, but God per- 
mits their observers to judge themselves also, and 
however pure literal precepts may be taught, the fail- 
ures of the teacher to practice his own teaching will 
not escape the attention of a child. Thus extravagant 
methods of education can only be maintained by 



68 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

showing contempt for natural experience and also by 
a delusive theory, itself a temptation, that natural 
knowledge literally distributed, which is education, 
can only be obtained by either service or money. No 
economy would be considered by such as are deluded 
into a sincere belief of a fallacy that even a child 
could explode. 

What is the present extravagant system of educa- 
tion leading to, if only to babes can one look for a 
spiritually pure human being? When the mad rush 
for literal education taxes the food producers to the 
extent of closing the mouths of babes, what but the 
grave is open for the visionary idealist that refuses to 
see a logical end of the continual increase of non-pro- 
ducers? There is no evidence that God is so distant 
that a petition to Him will be disdained with a lofty 
refusal to listen to the overtaxed energy of what is 
proclaimed to be a "free people." It is a strange 
anomaly that the ultra learned fail to grasp, if their 
writings are convictions of the "good and true" they 
so ably express, for while concrete humanity as a 
whole are becoming more civilized, abstract society 
is growing more corrupt. Is it because an attractive 
temptation is so necessary to progress that "society," 
as it is termed, educated at the expense of taxation, 
is so willing to pose as a temptation to posterity as an 
object to be avoided, for the benefit of the whole, or is 
it from God's messenger — the babe — that civilization 
is possible? 

The wisdom of God is the only real education from 
which the literal is but a shadow. Its most remark- 
able feature is, that the shadow is utilized for commer- 
cial profit, while the object from which it is cast is 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 69 

always free and at hand. The equipoise between 
temptation and God's government is analogous to 
good and evil, it also shows the perfection of God 
against the imperfection of man in his conduct after 
being born as perfect as his Creator. Temptation 
leads the child away, not to destruction, however, for 
every experience of evil or a "fall" teaches a method 
to overcome whatever particular evil is encountered. 
It is the defiance of actual experience and the submis- 
sion of human teachers that leads to destruction, of 
which abstract society has always been the evidence. 
It is a disobedience toward God and following the 
shadow of education, which is literal teaching, that 
leads to misery, and always ably defended by vanity. 

The educator has to contend with temptation to the 
extent of his experience, for it is as difficult to com- 
prehend a responsibility in the absence of a knowl- 
edge per se, of evil, as to have a comprehension of 
existence prior to birth. There is no greater tempta- 
tion than money, for it is the golden string that will 
lead a saint or an "angel" after getting a firm grasp to 
one end of the string; what is on the other end is of 
no consequence while the fever lasts. If an educator 
is ignorant of actual experience, and so smothered 
with literal precepts as to have lost possession of his 
natural judgment, he is as innocent as a babe, but if 
he cannot resist the temptation of money in payment 
for his second-hand teaching, he will be more severely 
punished than his victims who may have judgment 
enough to avoid his example which wull also reveal 
the fact that his literal precepts can be obtained free 
of cost direct from the Creator. 

The principle of temptation is a permanent factor 



70 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 

of human development, it accounts for the existence of 
vanity in the possession of a greater abundance of 
literal tools. The carpenter could feel that he was 
adding to his ability in proportion to the greater va- 
riety of tools he possessed, which is analogous to the 
educator with his variety of literary tools. The char- 
acter of both, however, could only be determined by 
their ability to contend against temptation. That is, 
ability is dangerous in the absence of substantial char- 
acter. Excessive modesty is often but a veil to hide 
vanity and conceit, for that reason the ability to con- 
quer temptation in its multitude of forms is a prac- 
tical education that literal tools are powerless to ac- 
complish. An apparently friendly act that is charged 
on account, to the recipient, is temptation in the most 
subtle disguise, for it is prompted by the expectation 
of payment with interest added. There are, however, 
honest educators more noticeable after death than 
any noise they made in the flesh, for philanthropist in 
the flesh would be as difficult to find as to look for one 
in a political gathering. When the principle of educa- 
tion is so natural, that even animals appear to seek it 
with delight it is like trying to make merchandise of 
sunshine as to traffic in education for the sole object 
of dollars. 

Pictures are educational in a moderate degree. 
They are innocent temptations so far as they lead to 
the comprehension of reality. But when they are ex- 
travagantly used to teach ideal expectations in con- 
tempt for real and natural conditions, such teaching 
becomes idolatrous. It is like utilizing fire to a rea- 
sonable extent, when an extravagant use would lead 
to fts becoming the master rather than the servant. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 7I 

An over-production of merchandise will lead to a 
counter depression of activities, hence if it is a fact 
that literal education — an abstract from the real — is 
encouraged for the double purpose of profit in teach- 
ing and the prospect of escaping the necessary labor 
that Nature demands, what but revolution of some 
kind will correct the error. It could scarcely be de- 
nied that the portion of humanity termed society 
was at all lacking in literal acquirement, yet it appears 
to be rushing toward the fire rather than from it. 

A recent educational writer refers to the writing of 
another with the inference of indorsement, "that it 
might be necessary to knock a man down to prevent 
him from throwing himself over a precipice," but after 
he got out of reach of the savior's club it would be 
analogous to the present condition of abstract society 
which is being literally knocked over the precipice 
of destruction by being taught that natural law could 
be defied by literal law. The club of education is 
equally as defensive as offensive and the simple ability 
to read of the folly of predecessors is an educational 
privilege that systems of education founded upon 
pagan tyranny will be powerless to knock down. 

It is always a personal problem to contend against 
temptation. The child is a living example of divine 
education that no system of literal education can com- 
pare except as a temptation to contend with. There 
is only one Master that rules the universe with the 
regularity of the solar system and every birth is an 
immaculate conception that to be resurrected in 
knowledge, a fall is just as necessary as an object to 
cast a shadow, also the literal record of the tempta- 
tions of Christ means the same thing, and any child 



72 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

could be taught to comprehend the principle before it 
was five years old except for the fact that its parents 
need regenerating having not been able to contend 
sucessfully with temptation. But the influence of 
the child, it always being nearer to God, is the only 
regenerating principle that God's grace ever bestowed 
upon humanity ; and the Bible is a literal record of 
His perfection, besides the example of Christ which 
demonstrated the same principle. 



CHAPTER IX. 



DEMONOLOGY. 



IDEALISM is the most successful literary venture the 
-*■ devil ever co-partnered with. Theories would become 
passive except for their contrarieties. The contraries 
in the action of a child are quite parallel to the activities 
of theories. The child, however, is a real life fact, 
while theories are visionary prospects of ideal con- 
struction that in the absence of a little material, the 
product of ideals are more ideals. Energy is an em- 
bryo ideal in passive submission to the equity of its 
environments, but like the fall of the child, motion 
must have space to move in. 

The mere presentation of a different symbol to rep- 
resent a natural phenomenon does not change the fun- 
damental fact, and the more universally this simple fact 
becomes known, the more difficult it will be for per- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 73 

sons who know it, to hide it from each other. A per- 
son may be a perfect reservoir of literal knowledge 
and as sincere as the innocent child, but he is just as 
much unborn in the absence of experience as before 
he first saw the light of day. It is the person who 
knows he is withholding the actual relation of literal 
knowledge to the spiritual that tries to manipulate 
ideals to justify his theory that a particular quantity 
of literal precepts entitles him to a social predomi- 
nance. It is the tentative persistency of educators in 
teaching idealism that needs attention if a person is 
sincere when he professes benevolence toward hu- 
manity. 

The pagan dirt will be washed out of literature 
when the popular educator has courage enough to 
acknowledge the Scriptures as the standard of moral 
ethics. The compromising with a fraud is always to 
the advantage of the fraud. This persistent clinging 
to pagan literature and eulogizing the ancient 
heathens by giving them credit for introducing 
"knowledge" to the human race is practically what 
they egotistically claimed for themselves in contradic- 
tion of the spiritual revelation that makes the Bible the 
most remarkable literary production ever printed, be- 
sides, its simplicity makes it possible for children to 
read it. Its pagan rendering and political manipula- 
tion are better proofs of its spiritual character, for it 
has always defied the greatest secular scholars to 
couteract its simple influence. 

The word "ideal" is a synonym of sorcery, dream, 
imagery, inspiration, consciousness, etc. The most 
important word that embraces the whole is "thought" 
— to think — that these simple facts are not taught to 



74 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

children in the early age of adolescence is for the rea- 
son that even modern educators insist upon the im- 
portance of "breaking the will" before ideal "mys- 
teries" in literal verbiage are taught to them. There 
is much less probability of children exercising their 
own God-given privilege by thinking or daring to 
think their own thoughts out loud, if the will is thor- 
oughly "broken in the cradle." That some do grow 
to adult age and escape the cemetery or passive to a 
finish is entirely due to the generosity of the Creator 
in keeping the earth so well supplied with humanity. 

It need not cost a cent for any person endowed 
with spiritual life enough to sense their own presence 
to also know they were in possession of an ideal fact. 
The ability to compare ideals or the imagery en- 
grossed upon the organic brain, technically termed 
"the mind" is a distinct affair from the mere concep- 
tion of imagery. The most important feature is the 
conceited presumption of one person pretending to be- 
stow ideals to another or to take compensation for 
pretending to teach another person what he already 
possessed free of cost. 

Demonology is the science of sorcery — divination, 
augury, etc. Although at the present time it is treated 
as past folly, its relative bearing upon the existing ed- 
ucational and social situation is worth considering at 
least. It was idealism, even if the modern word had 
not been coined. The point is, sorcery was the wisdom 
of the age and derived from the imagery of the mind 
— thought — a natural phenomenon common to the 
whole human race. The unity of humanity, from a 
spiritual standpoint, is thoroughly demonstrated in 
history which shows that the lowest aboriginal race 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 75 

of whatever color, had the same ideal conception of 
thought, and that such thought constitutes the in- 
trinsic character of knowledge that gave the human 
race its progressive prominence over animals. It is 
an interesting study from the past events to observe 
that what is common to a child is equally so to the 
entire human race. That is, the phenomenon of birth 
and natural knowledge has not changed a fraction 
from the earliest recorded period ; it follows, however, 
that religion and education are a mere synthesis of 
words, both words being embraced in the original 
conception that sorcery presented to the ideal faculty, 
that every birth gives evidence of. 

The cardinal principle of literal education was the 
evident inception of sorcery. It could hardly be be- 
lieved that the early divinity were sincere in their pre- 
tended power to make it rain in exchange for a certain 
portion of the product of the husbandman (primitive 
taxation). From the fact that the science of alchemy 
— modern chemistry — was kept a profound secret 
greatly to the profit of sorcery in working magical 
art, it would appear reasonable that in addition to the 
wisdom of the sorcerer, he also knew he was obtaining 
money under false pretences. That is the most im- 
portant feature to observe, when the relation of ancient 
education is compared with that of the present. 

When literal education became commercially profit- 
able the secrets of the earlier auguries were exposed by 
the discursions of the Greek scholars. It was practi- 
cally the commencement of a more general distribu- 
tion of literal knowledge, but the relation of state- 
craft to anything educational and the greed of the 
sophists would not permit of any economy in methods. 



76 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

To the contrary, however, terminology, dialetics, and 
esthetics were cultivated to the extreme to confine 
"knowledge," so termed, to the rich and the patron- 
age of the state. The honesty of Socrates in breath- 
ing democratic sentiments cost him his life, and added 
to the skill of Aristotle in coining words to bring 
his logic to the conclusion he desired, there was no 
more sincerity in trying to improve humanity than 
what the earlier sorceress betrayed. 

Aristotle was frank enough to admit that he had 
discovered all the knowledge there was, and as he was 
engaged more in keeping literal methods as exclusive 
as possible, he doubtless would not have given much 
attention if some obscure mortal in his time had dared 
to tell him that he had no different spiritual knowledge 
than what was born to a babe. He undoubtedly knew 
more about it than what he felt would be safe since 
Socrates was poisoned for knowing too much out loud. 
He displayed the wisdom of the sorcerer by hiding 
any ideal thoughts that would have betrayed pagan 
mythology. The effort to keep the common laborers 
and slaves ignorant of the equal title to a common 
privilege to spiritual endowment, suggests the suspi- 
cion that Aristotle knew even more than he had the 
courage to admit. 

The "breaking of the will," which makes the dis- 
respect for natural religion and natural education a 
necessity, — it is analogous to the early sorcerers killing 
infants because they were born at some inopportune 
period. This authority was assumed to be derived 
from some mysterious oracle. The fact that magic 
stupefied the ignorant was pretty good proof that the 
sorcerer, dreamer, and prophet knew enough to know 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. yj 

they were impostors. Now the most remarkable 
magic is to obtain such a mastery over another as to 
make him content to serve at command, without being 
considered a party to the contract. There would have 
been no need of sorcerers if they had been willing to 
teach the trick to the multitude. That it was all ideal 
play was conclusive when the secret methods were 
exposed. 

Now the present educational magicians have the 
same propensity for taking ofifence as the old school 
sorcerers had, and it looks reasonable that the same 
selfish purpose prompts the action. Of course a per- 
son not having such a selfish motive would not coun- 
tenance a text book in the "free schools" that justified 
the "breaking of the infant's will in the cradle," be- 
cause it would be parallel to the killing of infants in 
the old days so far as the disrespect for the Creator 
is concerned. It would appear more cruel, however, 
to half kill an infant than to put it away entirely. It 
would appear from the trend of educational writers 
that obedience to "superiors," a term derived from its 
prototype — sorcerer — was for the same purpose servile 
obedience, toward which the "breaking of the will" 
would be the first operation. The sentimental pre- 
tence of benefiting the child by teaching it servile 
obedience is slightly colored, for from observation, the 
modern sorcerers are not any more self-sacrificing than 
the ancients were. Besides if a child should be grateful 
for having its "will broken in the cradle," it could con- 
sole itself that it would never grow up to be a modern 
sorcerer. 

The individual character of thought is as strictly 
personal property as the privilege to breathe. "Lib- 



78 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

erty is not license," because license relates to temporal 
and material affairs pertaining to the authority of man 
as organized for social protection and a communion of 
interests, while liberty is bestowed upon the individual 
with the breath of life or touch of Spirit, which is all 
any person has to depend upon. 

Because material organs can be manipulated by the 
external influences of man acting commercially, is one 
of the most universal features of humanity, it was 
prompted by the ideal thoughts of the ancients and 
continued to the present day. It is not what education 
should be that is the present problem to solve, but in- 
stead, what it should not be, for only for the natural 
love of the parent to protect its offspring, it is as math- 
ematics that commercial greed would have incited 
mankind to enslave each other until the last man, like 
the first, could have had a paradise of earth all to him- 
self. It is as amusing as the remark of Cato when he 
wondered how two magicians (ancient educators) 
could meet each other without laughing, as to con- 
sider how concerned the pharmacist might be for fear 
the earth would cease to bear patrons for his art. That 
one race is superseded by another by the rule of "the 
survival of the fittest" is also due to education in its 
broad sense, but the abstract kind, to satisfy commer- 
cial greed and a life of luxury and leisure, is not the 
"fittest" if history can be believed. The literal is 
idealism, the picture of a fact, in commercial convey- 
ance, sold for a fact, and taught to be a fact by modern 
sorcerers ; in fact, it is material imagination — it is the 
fundamental principle of paganism." The spiritual is 
Christianity — the natural, all the knowledge there is, 
from which the literal and ideal is abstracted and 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 79 

taught second hand to be more brilliant than the real, 
also to transcend the natural. To worship the ideal 
is to choose slavery instead of freedom — material dis- 
appointment instead of spiritual happiness. Whether 
rich or poor, all must "earn bread by the sweat of their 
brow," and it can be proved by experience that spirit- 
ual sweat cannot be overcome by sorcery. 

The most cruel circumstance connected with mod- 
ernism in continuing to flirt with ancientism is the 
sacrifice of innocent children in pretending to extract 
one demon by beating two into it. To take advantage 
of the weakest and purest part of humanity, or even 
the innocents of literal ignorance, is a crime that no 
civil crimes compare ; and to justify the crime, the art 
of sorcery is embraced under a different name to treat 
the natural separate from the spiritual, in like manner 
to the synthesis of words expressing religion and edu- 
cation. The educator, innocent of this fact, is to be 
pitied rather than blamed, for his will was doubtless 
"broken" in childhood ; but the man who knows it and 
lacks the courage to admit it, cannot hide the fact 
from the Almighty at least, that he is a modern Phari- 
see. 



8o THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER X. 



TRANSCENDENTALISM. 



T F the future could be penetrated even for a few min- 
■^ utes, the commercial traffic in mysticism would 
have no market. It is the very fact that men have no 
knowledge of what they pretend to know, when the 
principle of didactics is adopted as a means of obtain- 
ing the necessities of life. Mythology became useless 
as civilization advanced simply because it became so 
common. That is, the business is overdone and the 
supply of myths exceeded the demand, hence a new 
principle had to be invented to amuse the common peo- 
ple, for parents even are but children of a larger 
growth, and they need playthings the same as children, 
except they must be adapted to the degree of intelli- 
gence that a person was fortunate enough to possess. 

Wisdom has not discovered a method by which it 
could command its own birth, but it can put new labels 
on out-of-date goods and customers might be found 
that failed to notice the stroke of diplomacy. There is 
one serious difficulty that all mystics have to encoun- 
ter ; civilization is a growth as much so as the individ- 
ual, and just as fast as old playthings cease to attract 
the attention, new ones must be forthcoming, or com- 
merce will take on a panic. 

The real fact is that transcendentalism and myth- 
ology are identical principles, a mere synthesis of 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 8l 

words; and while the people will buy "ideals" freely, 
a modern didactic would be laughed at if he should 
offer a "myth" for sale. 

The difficulty of controlling Nature with symbols, 
brass bands and timbrels to drive witches and evil 
spirits away is getting more tense as the multitude 
begin to learn that they can thrive on home-made 
music at much less expense than to borrow the music 
of others, and always keep a little behind in account, 
just enough to keep one's will well broken to service. 

The teacher always has two propositions to con- 
sider when he accepts a "calling" for a living. The first 
is, he must have something to teach ; and the second is, 
he must have an audience, which is more necessary 
than what he has to teach, otherwise without an audi- 
ence a teacher, however lively, would be as dead as 
a post. If the end in view was more important to the 
teacher than the taught, a little ideal attraction would 
be as necessary as for a child to fall before it could 
possibly rise in its own defence. The teacher having 
employed the mystic wand of having a mysterious 
notion to impart, for the purpose of attention, would 
continue to be mysterious, unless he was trying to 
teach the occupants of a cemetery not to worry about 
the condition of their departed souls. 

Natural intelligence would appear to be sufficient to 
reveal that the expectation of learning some more was 
mysterious. It is therefore clear that nothing but a 
new mystery occasionally will successfully teach the 
people to forget the old one that failed to materialize. 
It is remarkable to observe the partiality of a fresh 
student who can ridicule all the old mysteries, and 
then explain with equal ability how it was entirely due 



82 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

to ignorance. The modern prophet will also become 
pathetic in parading the self-sacrificing virtues of ef- 
forts that had succeeded at last in clearing the atmos- 
phere of disputes about mysteries. It appears to be 
the general opinion of educators that it is the duty of 
the state to break the wills of children when they can 
be taught obedience to the wills of others. The trou- 
ble with this system is, the very effort to break the 
will and train the child to accept whatever convictions 
the educators can agree upon, really so enlightens the 
intended victims that they slowly learn to handle mys- 
teries without assistance. 

If modern wisdom is really sincere in proclaiming 
its mastery of the ancient mysteries and ability to cope 
with the present, it would be interesting to have it 
explained what educators mean by promising so much 
peace and harmony when they often expose themselves 
in discussion to the weak intelligence of even a child. 
That is, if two educators cannot agree in the method 
of breaking the child's will, it would appear that ex- 
perience would be a factor in modern mysticism 
(transcendentalism) and a good many children may 
object individually to having their wills broken. Par- 
ents even can grow as wise as their bachelor and spin- 
ster advisers, and fight, even, if necessary, to protect 
the God-given wills of their children. Even if grum- 
blers call it brute instinct, the fact that they grumble 
is evidence that God's government cannot be tran- 
scended any more successfully at the present time than 
in the past. 

The present esoteric method in imitation of the pa- 
gans has not the same state protection, and if educa- 
tors have half the knowledge they appear to have, it 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 83 

would be strange indeed if all of them persisted in 
believing, or pretending to believe, that the masses can 
be taught literal knowledge (the experience of others) 
and also be persuaded not to think out loud. The 
most important mystery at the present time is to deter- 
mine how the pyramid of knowledge can be controlled 
from the top when the parents refuse to have the wills 
of their children broken sufficiently to form a safe 
base for said pyramid of knowledge to rest upon. 

There seems to be a united purpose in the general 
trend of all educators and teachers of every character 
in carefully evading the spiritual example of Christ, 
so entirely void of mystery except for the esoteric ef- 
forts of interpreters. The perfect spiritual equality of 
the human race is the very essence of the Scriptures. 
It teaches distinctly that what is mystery to the parent 
is spiritually revealed to the child. It is this essential 
fact that educators refuse to admit while they are con- 
tending over mysteries that must be explained to chil- 
dren for fear they will grow up in ignorance of what 
God provides free, before the literal teacher can get in 
his second-hand work. The communion of spirit and 
the sacredness of personality carefully studied without 
bias would throw more light upon mysteries than all 
the mythologies that were ever concocted. For ex- 
ample : There is no mystery in what the sense reveals 
to the individual child until experience discloses the 
imagery that the mental organs reflect upon the brain 
by the spiritual light common to all who know enough 
to deny it. It requires esoteric literature poured into 
the ears of the child in immense quantity before the 
child can be "broken" to the belief that what the im- 
agery of the mind conveys to the brain literally, tran- 



84 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 

scends the experience spiritually, conveyed to the 
brain. This principle is so strictly individual that 
all esoteric teachers know it, who betray themselves 
by the choice of esoteric words in place of exoteric 
words. That is, the effort to conserve mystery is far 
greater than the effort to expose it, because there is a 
material danger that the alternate character of the 
will has to consider. 

The literal training or "breaking" of the will is really 
identical. But that God never forsakes the child spir- 
itually makes it extremely precarious when a sure de- 
pendence is placed upon the will of another, for Christ 
taught the possibility of being "born again" as long 
as the spirit lingered with the material body. It is 
about the limit of man's effort to establish literal tran- 
scendentalism, for it is like trying to put a fire out and 
neglecting the sparks that are left behind, as to claim 
a literal title to a child's will while the child is in 
possession of its spiritual title. It is a misfortune in 
this enlightened age that a man will profess philan- 
thropy in precepts and then betray his insincerity to 
his audience by expressing indignity if his orthodox 
conviction is being exposed. It is parallel to the anger 
of ancient idolators if the divinity of their pet idols was 
even questioned, and only from war and conquest 
could the delusion be stamped out. It is an imposition 
that reflects upon the more enlightened intelligence of 
the present age to defend transcendentalism which is 
only another word for idolatry. 

That this imposition upon natural intelligence is des- 
tined to the same fate as its predecessors, unless the 
elasticity of reform which needs no other prophecy 
than the history of the past assists Nature in her per- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 85 

sistent readjusting of the continuity of evil, without 
the necessity of more war. The most vital point of 
defect in present theories is the clinging to the pagan 
rendering of what constitutes the meaning of such 
words as spirit, soul, mind and nature; if these four 
words were reduced to one, the mysteries of the past 
would have no foundation to rest upon, besides the dis- 
putes over the interpretation of the Bible would be 
reduced in like proportion. It might not suit the self- 
satisfied esoteric man, but according to such declara- 
tion as, "the good and true," one should not cling to 
his own personal interest (theoretically) when the 
welfare of the many is sacrificed thereby. 

The four symbols named could be embraced in either 
one, and there would be no place for transcendental- 
ism, which could be laid aside in like manner to its 
predecessor — idolatry. It is a theory, of course, but it 
would be more economical to have only one word to 
express the same fundamental principle. It would be 
too exhaustive to call attention to objection that could 
be offered against such a simple reform of theories. 
The point is, that some mysterious purpose is hidden 
from the common penetration, when four words are 
used to represent what all schools of philosophy are 
agreed upon as phenomena. In the absence of spirit 
all else is material or dead matter. The doctrine of 
Biogenesis explodes theories that suggest a panic. It 
practically admits the touch of spirit to be confined to 
its self-revealing character or the individual conscious- 
ness of existence independent of what psychologists 
try to explain in defence of didactic principles. That 
Is, if experience derived from the touch of spirit, which 
experience itself determines, it would transform the 



86 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

earth into a heaven at once, but experience is not uni- 
form and there are organic difficulties that the spirit 
only reveals to the faculty of sensation in dififerent de- 
grees of experience to supply abstract theology with 
plenty of speculation for a foundation. An economy 
of mystery will encourage people to have more confi- 
dence in their own thoughts. The privilege to think 
without being compelled to pay another to think for 
us, embraces all the mystery that humanity can study. 
The effort to clothe the mind and soul with material 
garments was the pretension of the pagans who were 
conceited enough in their own literal garment to at- 
tempt to obtain followers by teaching them to believe 
it, and those who think at the present that they can 
catch up with the mysterious would put in their time 
cultivating faith in a power that the pagans could not 
capture. Besides, if reason, which is the boast of the 
present scholastic age, was employed, it would reveal 
to experience that the diflFerence between spirit and 
the efifort to catch one, is just as distant as it ever was. 
Yet strange to say, which might appear in contra- 
diction to literal authority, and not be any farther 
from the fact, than an effort to overtake mystery, that 
the touch of spirit reveals to experience the very mys- 
tery that the entire human race are running after. 
What the spirit reveals is as a light to darkness, for 
example : Material organs are just as dead as the mat- 
ter they are composed of, their attributes may be nu- 
merous but while they exist in the dark, spirit will 
light up the situation when the organs discover them- 
selves to be in correspondence with each other in ac- 
cord with experience or consciousness. It is there- 
fore no mystery to a child that falls out of bed, for 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 8/ 

experience, practically knowledge, becomes a revealed 
fact, and there is no mystery in the experience of a 
fact, but what is a mystery is to observe a man trying 
to teach a stone to roll up hill because it is just as 
reasonable for it to roll up as down when the reason 
cannot explain why it rolls down. Experience being 
strictly confined to the individual its relation with 
spirit is not transferable, but instead it is a confiden- 
tial co-partnership that the Governor of all things in- 
sists upon. Man can transfer the imagery (thought) 
of experience, and experience itself teaches it to be 
the limit. A doctor can claim that his literal ascend- 
ency by reason of a greater possession of imagery, 
gives him a moral right to deceive a patient when 
from his own opinion it would be for the patient's wel- 
fare, but to admit that the patient had an equal right 
to deceive the doctor, presents the exact distance be- 
tween a fact and transcendentalism. 



88 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XL 



FREEDOM. 



'T^HERE are two remarkable divisions of humanity 
-*■ that are involved in the principle of freedom. Sub- 
divisions also are so numerous that they reach to the 
individual unit. To say there were two publics might 
answer for a doctrine or speculation, but when a sim- 
of knowledge must be denied, for if the indirect con- 
proved pet ; besides it would prove that the emancipation 
hypothesis, the conclusion must necessarily be the same 
and its opposite, slavery, constitute all that human 
pie fact is the end in view, it is well to keep in touch 
with what one can determine by experience to be uni- 
versal spirit. With such a spiritual revelation that in- 
dividual experience only can comprehend, it suggests 
the thought that any division of humanity is material 
rather than spiritual. If doctrines were being consid- 
ered, spirit could be divided and subdivided by the 
ideal faculty of the brain that experience suggests as 
the common property of all. 

Experience is also authority for the assertion that 
the touch of spirit is knowledge in its true or spiritual 
sense of the word. Thus whatever material division 
exists as a mere tentative speculation even, its influ- 
ence upon the cardinal principle of freedom could in 
kindness be considered at least. If a person has culti- 
vated rigidity to the extent of Aristotle of whom it is 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 89 

recorded that he declared himself he had discovered 
all there was to know, it would be almost needless to 
caution such a person that the principle of freedom 
did not concern him at all. 

For present purposes it could be considered that 
humanity is divided materially rather than intellectually, 
for if knowledge is the touch of spirit, it follows that 
whatever is literal belongs in the material class. To 
observe carefully this seeming incongruity that a good 
many have been taught to believe differently, the spirit 
of knowledge must be deemed, for if the indirect con- 
veyance of knowledge adds to its virtue in consequence 
of any specific method of conveyance, it has not been 
proved yet, besides it would prove that the emancipation 
of the slave was an act of injustice. That is, if a ma- 
terial division only is admitted as a mere theoretical 
hypothesis, the conclusionmust necessarily be the same 
as if it was endorsed by spiritual sanction. To be a little 
better understood perhaps : When a person or organiz- 
ation assumes authority and commands obedience, it is 
the natural and spiritual right of the lowest specimen of 
humanity to demand credentials. 

There is no point in the consideration of freedom 
more important that to treat spiritual freedom sepa- 
rate from material freedom. If a materialist should 
refuse to even consider any division of spirit and mat- 
ter, he could not hide his inconsistency from others, 
even if he had hidden it successfully from his own 
thoughts. No slave was ever held to involuntary ser- 
vice that was so completely enslaved as a person who 
sacrifices his own freedom by choosing literal author- 
ity in opposition to his spiritual experience. The 
temptation being material reward that never material- 



90 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

izes in the absence of spirit which enters into no com- 
promise with fraud or immorality. No person can be 
deprived of a spiritual freedom, but material freedom 
and its opposite, slavery, constitutes all that human 
intelligence has to maintain commercial activity. 
Christ taught the impossibility of introducing any 
commercial traffic in the realm of spirit, and all kinds 
of philosophy and theories have been indulged in to 
discover some material entrance into God's private 
affairs. Even literal authority that recognizes the 
Bible forbids any material entrance into spiritual so- 
ciety. 

Experience is not concerned in doctrines or theories, 
and even science is more a subordinate than a com- 
manding presence. It is derived from the touch of 
spirit and even the Educator cannot disguise his de- 
pendence upon the same principle, however he may 
fortify himself in esoteric parlance and cultivated 
irony, his spiritual dependence levels him to the same 
authority. The master is as often the slave as those 
he can command or compel to follow him. While any 
influence is educational even a literal testimony of an 
experience depends upon relative comparison, and to 
go beyond that principle pagan philosophy must be 
embraced. When literal science was in its infancy 
and confined to a few persons it was comparatively 
simple for so few to apotheosize themselves and de- 
mand servile obedience from the great mass of de- 
fenceless humanity. It was a delusion, however, that 
a thinking man of the present could easily avoid if he 
had the courage to admit it, for spiritual freedom has 
to be earned as well as food to sustain material free- 
dom. Spiritual education was not denied to the an- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 9I 

cient slave by his Creator when the utmost effort was 
exerted to preserve the mass of humanity in ignorance 
of literal science (not knowledge as the esoteric schol- 
ars tried to make each other believe) for the teaching 
of knowledge as spiritually revealed to individual ex- 
perience, appears to have been reserved for fear the 
human race would become so vain of their freedom 
that the petition of children even would not have suf- 
ficed to spare the human family from destruction. 

The greed for material acquirements, including the 
literal, is no less attractive at the present time than 
when Aristotle proclaimed that "slavery was a natural 
necessity." But the great question now for modern 
educators to consider is whether the esoteric master 
is not the slave in fact, when he must exhaust his lit- 
erary talent to convince the serving man against his 
experience, which teaches freedom from a higher 
power. If it is natural to serve and also a moral duty, 
it is certainly unnatural to be willing, which supplies 
a reason for breaking the will of children before they 
learn of their free spiritual birth. Surely the person 
who can encompass the entire field of ancient learn- 
ing, cannot enjoy the freedom that was born to him 
if he lacks the courage to proclaim publicly what he 
knows to be a fact. It is no rare circumstance to hear 
prominent educators declare that what is needed to 
correct present evils is to send better men to the Legis- 
lature. What made them so bad as not to represent 
the situation faithfully? They were all educated by 
modern methods, hence where but in the cradle can 
better men be found to send to the Legislature? It 
would be necessary to send them before their "wills 
were thoroughly broken" to modernism or they would 
be unfit to improve the situation. 



92 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

It is not the fault of education, which is as natural as 
freedom, it is the kind of education that Legislatures 
are administering at the command of commercial 
greed. Systems of educations have always been care- 
fully guarded upon the principle of freedom that the 
most despotic rules are religiously taught to contend 
against what can only be learned from natural free- 
dom. There is no better evidence of human reason 
than the fact of its denying the petition of children 
which is the very spiritual "voice" of God. The word 
"reason" is often employed in an antithesis character, 
which would doubtless deceive the illiterate ; it shows 
a reason for defying the voice of God in the child's 
petition by manufacturing a reason that the child is 
too weak to contend against, but the very reason in 
defence of material authority proves distinctly that 
the spiritual reason is well known to any person who 
would use his physical or intelligent strength to crush 
the natural freedom of a child. 

It is not the purpose here to discuss literal authority 
or established canon law in the abstract, for the eso- 
teric learned are fully competent to destroy each other 
in this enlightened age since the freedom of reason is 
not frightened at the mere conflict of words, and even 
bayonets have become powerless to cope with the 
spirit of freedom in conflict with material greed. A 
dogma will have the same meaning called by another 
name, for Christianity will never wear pagan labels 
gracefully. The great question before the entire 
world is to determine what relation children bear to 
posterity, whether their spiritual petition is to be rec- 
ognized or whether they will continue to be trained to 
support warring factions of materialism. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 93 

The great mass of humanity can wait with far 
greater happiness than the dominant class, for at no 
period of the world's history was the slave ever com- 
pelled to bear the material suffering that his master 
could not escape from. Even the oratory of Cicero 
was powerless to save Rome from starving to death 
when the non-producer of food became so numerous 
that the producer could not support himself and mas- 
ter both. It was the master therefore that starved, for 
the slave learned from the example of his master that 
self-preservation was his first duty, thus the slave and 
literal records of the event survived the demise of 
the master. It would appear in defense of the prin- 
ciple of reason that the dominant portion of humanity 
would save themselves, in face of the petition of chil- 
dren, and the warnings of history, against following 
pagan prerogatives. 

That it is more dangerous to rise than to fall is the 
privilege of the individual to determine. It is equally 
certain that neither event could occur in the absence 
of space to move in. The point is, freedom was dem- 
onstrated in both cases, and if it occurs from the obe- 
dience to natural law or the touch of spirit, it is free- 
dom per se, but when the material influence of another 
person is involved, slavery in some form is the result. 
There could be no freedom without the possibility of 
slavery. Thus the child is permitted to fall per se that 
it might rise in knowledge ; to force it to fall for the 
same object would be analogous to the present system 
of education, and therefore a form of slavery. 

A strict orthodox could not be such if the opinion 
of another was even listened to that disagreed with his 
own rendering. Such perfect freedom is rarely ob- 



94 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

tained in the necessary activities of life, but such free- 
dom presents a type of character that reflects the pos- 
sibility of abstract education forcing a person either 
up or down to a passive condition, when to rise or 
fall in knowledge might be possible, but very improb- 
able. There is more virtue in ignorance as the work 
of the Creator, than what is possible for intelligence, 
when the gift is abused to crush or oppress what he 
might choose to call an inferior. It could be called 
one form of freedom, and also prove that freedom and 
liberty are license, or else an intelligent person could 
not fall into such disgrace any more than a child could 
fall if it remained passive on the ground. 

Literal freedom and material freedom are synthetic, 
but spiritual freedom is independent of any material 
scheme of man. The touch of spirit is not transfer- 
able by any material conveyance either literal or other- 
wise. To make the meaning exact, it is the principle 
of Biogenesis that only from the touch of life is its 
continuity possible. The effect of scientific discovery 
upon ideal theology is literally recorded in profusion, 
of which fact public libraries bear evidence. Its ef- 
fect upon the relation of individual man as a material 
being, touched with life by universal spirit, has not 
been settled. It appears to be beyond the realm of 
science even, but can any individual sense his own ex- 
istence and deny the principle of concrete freedom? 

The freedom of petition is the superlative use that 
freedom can be applied to. It proves the individual 
declaration itself. The declaration as such is not im- 
peachable in presence of the person making the dec- 
laration. Whether it is an ideal conception or a sense 
perception, the entire civil judicatory of the world 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 95 

could not control the freedom of spiritual conception. 
What is termed a literal truth has no more relation to 
a spiritual truth than a pile of sand has to a locomo- 
tive. It is like a cemetery compared to a village in- 
habited with active beings. The effort to make a lit- 
eral truth equal to a spiritual truth has kept wisdom 
busy since literal science was first discovered, and 
the two principles — Spirit and Matter — are just as far 
apart as ever. 

Martyrs become saints after they sacrifice their ma- 
terial flesh in defence of the spiritual freedom, in the 
absence of which material freedom including literal 
freedom was all that was really dead, and the freedom 
of remaining unborn in a material sense, does not 
change the princple of freedom after the touch of 
spirit reveals the fact of birth to the individual born. 
Wisdom made heroes of pirates and murderers, at the 
same time the martyrs were being crucified in the pre- 
tence of a divine right to employ material freedom 
in the vain effort to overcome spiritual freedom. Ob- 
jections and counter objections can be indulged in, 
but the very fact that educators barricade their exclu- 
siveness by cultivating esoteric phraseology in imi- 
tation of the pagans, proves their efforts to be lim- 
ited to material things. Thus if reason has not lost 
its value entirely, from what standpoint of reasoning 
can a person expect that the esoteric educator of the 
present can emulate the esoteric wisdom of the past 
and escape the fate of their predecessors? 



96 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XII. 



SLAVERY. 



INVOLUNTARY subjection to the will of another is 
slavery; it is therefore possible in a multitude of 
forms, it exists abstractly or concrete as the case may be. 
Its general principle presupposes an inhuman condi- 
tion that is replaced by mere animal instinct. In pre- 
tense men who were acknowledged to be the wisest 
of the age reasoned forward, but in practice they rea- 
soned backward. That is, when personal interests 
were involved reason was adapted to such interest. 
It would appear that the mental faculty of man could 
be reversed, but the delusion cannot be disguised 
continually, for the reason acts spiritually or literally 
as the will directs. An end desired is the abstract 
form, but to reason from concrete facts in possession 
of the reasoner the end is often as much a surprise as 
the discovery of one's own birth. 

A person will choose literal authority if it serves 
his immediate interest best, but when a sudden emer- 
gency occurs spiritual authority is courted with the 
most devout denial that it was ever abandoned. A 
slave can only be such when he is cognizant of the 
fact from spiritual conception. It is doubtful if a 
person could be convinced by any literal process that 
he was serving another's will if his weakness of un- 
derstanding presented a cheerful contentment. The 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 97 

ancients were prompt in appropriating this condition, 
when literal authority was apotheosized to meet the 
end desired. Theories could be made by order of a 
despotic ruler as readily as he could command a ser- 
vant. 

When education was considered only in the light of 
religion, whatever despot was the ruling power, it was 
supposed that only from absolute authority could the 
people of a nation be governed ; they were all prac- 
tically slaves, and only from specific favor of the King 
to save his own prestige, could any one be elevated 
above slavery. If the most abject slave obtained fol- 
lowers sufficient to maintain an area of territory and 
made a king, it was considered to be a direct interpo- 
sition of God. The early people were just as depend- 
ent upon experience, which was really spiritual knowl- 
edge, as the individual is upon his birth. It is absurd 
at this late day to continue to hold that knowledge 
was only bestowed upon a favored few, to be literally 
transmitted to posterity. 

In the era of Alexander, knowledge was just as 
much a subject of slavery as the person itself; it was 
not so much due to ignorace or what is often termed 
barbarism, as it was to the natural phenomenon of 
fear. The bravado which was common among the 
isolated aborigines had descended to the Alexander 
era. It was very simple at this period to mistake ro- 
mance for history, for the rage was for the most im- 
probable story, and the very first use that the science 
of letters was used for, was to compete for the most 
fantastic stories. The exercise no doubt developed the 
mental faculties and encouraged an ambition for literal 
learning, but the presence of slavery disclosed the fact 



98 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

that moral principles were absent. Pecuniary profit 
and the patronage of a bravado ruler were the chief in- 
centives of literal education. The fountain of knowl- 
edge, however, being entirely spiritual, morality would 
crop out, for which Socrates sacrificed his life in de- 
fending. This event added to the existence of slavery 
should be reason enough why the vagaries of the an- 
cient scholars should be discarded in a Christian age. 
Literal beauty of style will never compensate a per- 
son for the lack of moral courage. Theories were 
formed to fit a desired end, and any science that ex- 
posed the bravado of the ruling class had to smoulder 
in silence, for the one science of the bravado is, that 
might is right. It was simple in theory to pamper to 
the illiteracy of the bravado and make imaginary spirits 
perform in conformity to the ideal fancy of any person 
in possession of literal ability. 

The subtlety of the tyrant arrayed in superficial 
grandeur, with literal science compelled to serve the 
King, had a silent competitor more potent to protect 
his subjects than all the braggadocio he could com- 
mand. Natural fear made it possible for man to en- 
slave his kind, and silent submission appeared such 
by reason of ignorance, but spiritual knowledge was 
never revealed in literal words, for if it had been literal 
braggadocio would have been a common instinct and 
slavery would have been as impossible as it is among 
the lower animals. The very existence of fear proves 
the inherent endowment of spiritual knowledge. The 
spirit of love conquers fear, and no worse slavery was 
possible than the commanding of material service from 
an apparent inferior to gratify a material appetite for 
either luxury, adulation or power of oppression. Mere 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 99 

appetite enslaved Esau, and experience alone can only 
determine what it means to defy spiritual knowledge. 
Thus fear is a dual factor in the protection of the hu- 
man race ; it makes material slavery possible, but with 
a strict regard for direct spiritual knowledge, spirit- 
ual slavery is impossible. It is Christianity, and liter- 
ally taught in the Bible; its spiritual character, how- 
ever, is impossible to be obtained from a pagan ren- 
dering, for a person is forced by spiritual authority to 
a strict personal responsibility ; it must necessarily ex- 
clude the Bible by proxy, for that would be a form of 
slavery that the Bible itself rebukes. That is, Bible 
interpretations are second-hand instructions, for spir- 
itual knowledge is a sacred personality that can only 
be surrendered by the personal will in like manner to 
Esau which is the worst form of slavery that the Bible 
records. It makes voluntary servitude even worse 
than the involuntary. 

A great deal has been written about chattel slavery 
which has been emancipated from legal protection, 
but the worst form of slavery remains to be emanci- 
pated in like manner to the former just as soon as the 
slaves are willing, for spiritual knowledge acts directly 
upon the person involved. Slavery of every character 
is the result of fear — a lack of courage — and education 
of any character that teaches fear is mixed with eso- 
teric paganism to keep slaves in profitable service. In 
contradistinction, the Scriptures teach love and faith 
which dispel fear as a rainbow predicts fair weather. 
That slavery is possible is because freedom is possible ; 
and if after the Creator bestowed spiritual freedom upon 
the child at birth, it would have been absurd to have 
guarded it so carefullv as to have restrained the law of 



lOO THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 

gravity in depriving the child of the freedom to rise. 
Slavery is analogous to the primitive "fall," for it was 
the only possible method of educating the human race, 
other than bestowing a complete diploma as was done in 
the case of animals. Surely when love and faith were 
literally taught from spiritual revelation in addition to 
the fall, no one but the person involved is to blame 
for slavery. Besides divine protection went still fur- 
ther, by enforcing the responsibility and punishment 
both, upon the task-master. 

Again, the difference between spiritual slavery and ma- 
terial slavery is exactly parallel to the difference be- 
tween spiritual education and the literal, the former is 
real while the latter is second-hand. Now, if the edu- 
cator taught concrete freedom which would be a repeti- 
tion, it would be equivalent to teaching what the child 
was taught at birth. In the light of economy, however, 
the teacher who knows it to be the truth could teach the 
Christian system instead of the pagan, when the literal 
task-master could be left to settle his account with his 
Creator on an equal footing with his slave. 

The fact that Spirit, life, energy and force are the 
motor of motion it represents the one natural phenome- 
non of action, and the ambition for discovery born to 
every person who reveals his own spirit by the very act 
of walking is better proof of the direct revealing force of 
spirit, than any literal product derived from itself. It is 
experience, not in debt to literal science for its birth, for 
it is the first education always revealed prior to letters. 
On general principles the predecessor of the child is the 
task-master from which slavery first took form justified 
by pagan literature. The early task-masters enslaved 
even members of their own family by the mere physical 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. lOI 

power to do it; and if moral redemption can be enslaved 
by literal authority which has always been the task-mas- 
ter in first one form and then another, it would make rea- 
son the slave of brute instinct. If reason was bestowed 
upon humanity in an unequal degree, is it not more rea- 
sonable that it was to protect the weak rather than en- 
slave them? Literal authority defends itself in precepts 
by claiming to protect the weak ; in practice, however, 
the weak experience of the child is a continual protest 
against being a slave to literal authority when its active 
existence depends upon spiritual authority that the lit- 
eral has never enslaved theoretically since Socrates, who 
was the first martyr to the cause of Christian education 
and democratic principles. He denounced his contempo- 
raries for the effort of enslaving the spirit by material or 
literal effort. His prayer was : 

"Beloved Pan, and all ye other gods who here abide, 
grant me to be beautiful in the inner man, and all I have 
of outer things to be at peace with those within. May I 
count the wise man only rich, and may my store of gold 
be such as none but the good can bear." 

The first need of the child is bread, even in the interest 
of posterity, before the literal task-master has even a 
standpoint to practice his literal slavery. What would 
become of the child except for its literal training? It 
could be answered by another question : what would be- 
come of posterity except for the spiritual training the 
child gets direct from its Creator? The commercial 
profit derived from the training of the child controls the 
general principle of literal education. Such education, 
however, should be studied as an abstract in justice to 
the general principle of education. It is depriving of 
the child of its bread in the pretense of a prospective fu- 



/ 



I02 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

ture where the principle of slavery is involved. Besides 
it is only the pedant that takes umbrage at a just rebuke. 
Such will hide behind a superior in a pretended defence 
of one, who is much better able to defend himself. The 
real scholar is a student that recognizes concrete facts on 
general principles, while the pedant can float on literal 
abstracts and feel as comfortable as a slave who has sur- 
rendered his privilege of being the "free agent" of his 
Creator to become the sub-agent of another person in 
his own likeness. 

Because stealing does not stop by reason of law and 
punishment, it does not justify the thief who escapes get- 
ting caught, but is there any sense to the privilege of 
logic and discourse or even the general principle of edu- 
cation; it could not be denied that a person who would 
enslave a child by reason of its weakness (which history 
shows to have been a fact) for commercial profit, the 
same greed for profit would educate the child to the 
same end. It would have taxed the genius of Aristotle 
in making syllogisms to explain : If natural law protects 
the child against the greed of literal education in propor- 
tion to the child's willingness to choose between good 
and evil ; is natural law the teacher or the taught ? This 
proposition would in logic, carried to whatever length 
that a discourse in literal words might be possible, result 
in the choice between natural freedom or literal slavery. 

Experience is the only method by which it can be set- 
tled when a person cannot be taught not to "fall," but the 
"fall" is able to prove to the person fallen that literal edu- 
cation is responsible for evil which depends upon natural 
law for redemption — education, and freedom contending 
against the greed of man to enslave his kind. In reality. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. IO3 

natural activity is made a commodity of commerce, be- 
cause the credulous can be imposed upon and also 
charged for the imposition. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

HABIT. 

IT ABIT could be considered as a crystallized con- 
^^ science; its relation to literal education is one of its 
principal products. Educational systems that are 
maintained for commercial profit would necessarily 
contend that habit was one of the cardinal virtues 
that was desirable to possess. Examples are plenty 
which form the larger portion of literal authority. 
Thus if a person surrenders to the principle and per- 
mits his natural thoughts to become crystallized by 
outside influences it could result in a passive content- 
ment akin to ideal happiness. 

Steady habits can be equally good or bad according 
to the influence that directs them. The most import- 
ant feature in either case, is a service rendered to the 
outside influence. Educators more concerned in the 
profit of teaching than the results toward others, are 
readily convinced of any theory that will promote the 
end in view. After a teacher's thoughts become crys- 
talized, they also settle down to steady habits, and to 
persuade such a person to construct an original 
thought would appear to be a transgression upon the 



I04 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

power of God. For example, to convince a mind crys- 
talized by literal authority that it was impossible to 
teach another natural habits, would be destructive to 
the theoretic crystals, which would be equivalent to a 
new birth or what the Scriptures reveal as born of the 
Spirit. 

The child, therefore, is the redeeming force that 
civilizes humanity. It is the direct voice of God and 
if the child fails to regenerate the parent and dissolve 
the crystalized habits of literal authority the living 
circle of the parent will have reached its greatest di- 
ameter. Human progress ebbs and flows in circles ; 
the ideal circle reaches out beyond the reality of cog- 
nate existence by means of literal art. A person can 
become active in ideals and passive in constructions. 
In the absence of careful explanation, habits can be so 
formed that ideals are preferable to realities ; such a 
state of things is just as possible as suicide. If other- 
wise, progress would be impossible, but when a per- 
son commits mental suicide it is still possible to main- 
tain a physical organism. The touch of spirit would 
appear to supply the necessary vitality; while the hu- 
man feature of existence had ceased to perform its 
functions. That such conditions can be determined 
by an observer, the person afflicted could be so habitu- 
ated to the cultivation of ideal thoughts exclusively, 
as to be utterly unconscious of his loss. Because a 
person can be educated to steal, with a reasonable 
possibility of feeling no wrong in the act, presents a 
reason also, that an abstract educator of any character 
could teach a person habits of action, when the teacher 
and taught both could be innocent of intent, and as 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. IO5 

irresponsible for the act as an animal ignorant of lit- 
eral science. 

This feature adds to the responsibility of an educa- 
tor who would withhold a simple explanation of literal 
science for fear the art would become so common as 
to detract from the commercial profit of education. 
When a person is recognized as possessing a title to 
the privilege of being his own accuser it could scarcely 
appear reasonable to hold that he could be led astray 
by literal authority to the extent of forgetting the 
natural education bestowed upon him at birth. Rea- 
son would cease to be such if custom and habit could 
control it, or that the product of natural knowledge, 
which is the literal, could control its own source. The- 
ories based upon pagan speculation have only been 
able to maintain attraction sufficient to hold a system 
of education together by yielding to science a principle 
so simple that even a child could comprehend it except 
for the opportunity withheld. 

Theories that are dependent for facts upon scien- 
tific discovery could not claim to be reasonable, except 
in the presence of illiteracy ; the efifort therefore to 
maintain an extravagant system of education upon no 
firmer ground than to protect the habits and customs 
of the pagans, since science has exposed their soph- 
istry, it is extremely unreasonable. Habit is non-pro- 
gressive, and yet not so cruel as many systems of edu- 
cation ; it wovild appear to be a natural protection 
against the abuse of education, for after the brain be- 
comes sterile to a partial extent even, which experience 
will reveal, the ambition for literal progress would ap- 
pear in a loss of attention. To treat this as a science- 
or a theory, objections could be advanced that would 



I06 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

disprove such an assertion, but the question would 
arise in rebuttal, for an objector to show any literal 
process by which an experience could be disproved. 

It is this utter impossibility of the literal convey- 
ance of a sense conception that makes habit a much 
more comfortable condition than the responsibilities 
always attached to mental activity. Birth, however, 
is not for the person born to choose whether he will 
be born or not ; and it would be equally absurd to 
prove to another living person that he was not born, 
as to disbelieve his assertion of an experience by any 
scientific method beyond dispute. A chronic sterility 
of mental activity is an external feature of observation 
that will disclose the absence of experience. That is, 
a habit which often appears to be derived from abstract 
education to such an alarming extent, that a person 
will cultivate second-hand thoughts, until their own 
constructive ability becomes paralyzed. Natural ad- 
justment will correct this evil of the modern system of 
education unless the physical has become as artificially 
crystallized as the mental faculties. 

The petition of the child is the direct voice of God 
in spite of pagan theories to the contrary. Beauty is 
moral rectitude and Christian charity, that no literal 
ability ever transcended ; it reflects from the inner out- 
ward and it is a remarkable fact that people utterly 
ignorant of letters, also barely able to express their 
thoughts, possesses both beauty of figure with a charity 
of action. It does not require much literal knowledge 
to discover that it is the most favored in acquirements 
who abuse the divine privilege of progress ; but the 
petition of children should be heeded at least, for God 
never put them on the earth for greed to prey upon in 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. lO/ 

defiance of punishment. Neither proof nor punish- 
ment from human agency needs to be considered at all, 
for if the past reflects the future the question of pun- 
ishment should not be doubted. The question, why? 
in literal parlance, reflects upon the privilege of prog- 
ress, a fear, often expressed, that a neglect of literal 
instruction will cause the human race to revert back 
into "barbarism." Children continue to be spread upon 
the earth so plentifully that the question of barbarism 
could be laid aside, and take up the greater question : 
What will become of educators who know the present 
state of things and haven't moral courage enough to 
sacrifice their immediate interest by recognizing the 
wisdom of God, rather than continuing to uphold pa- 
gan precepts? 

If history has escaped cultivation, since the ancient 
poets and Greek scholars died, to the extent they 
would not if now living recognize their own accredited 
works, it is about the only thing that the greed of man 
has not appropriated for personal profit. 

Habit is a convenient shield for fear to hide be- 
hind. It involves the will, however ; and to obtain re- 
sults desired without encountering danger is a natural 
impossibility. It could doubtless be disproved literally, 
for the multitude follow for fear of independent action. 
The decision of an individual has no effect upon the 
principle, but it effects the individual in proportion to 
his courage. Christ exemplified the principle which 
is no less than individual independence. To follow 
Christ is to follow the principle exemplified rather than 
to follow the political theory of obedience often 
preached in His name to protect dominant interests. 
Perfected obedience, as a result of education, is a con- 



I08 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

dition of ignorance as thoroughly sealed as the em- 
bryo humanity previous to birth. That is, when the 
concept of experience is forestalled by the precept of 
theories. It is the individual limit of progress when 
the circle of independence is confined to the degree that 
outside influences can control the will. 

Independent personality is the natural protection 
against literal authority, or theoretic education. The 
conflict between these two important principles has 
been the chief cause of war, if not the only cause. The 
general character of war is just as protective as it is 
destructive. Human existence is necessarily depend- 
ent upon a duality of action which results in war of 
some character ; the same as the conflict between sun 
and cloud, or love and fear, both of which always end 
in fair weather and peace. Nations or minor organiza- 
tions are as dependent upon individual followers as 
the ocean depends upon drops of water. Natural edu- 
cation, therefore, so strictly confined to the inner man 
that theoretic or literal authority has always failed like 
clouds seeking to obscure the sun. The effort to hide 
a fact is one of the surest mehtods of disclosing it to 
be a fact, and what constitutes an independent person- 
ality is all the better seen from the theoretic effort to 
convince an adult person that it is safer to follow than 
to exercise natural independence, of which every per- 
son possesses a clear title, and naturally governed by 
the dual principle of love and fear. 

Greed and selfishness are the result of cultivating 
fear, and there is no surer way of betraying selfishness 
than to maintain theoretically the training of children 
to the importance of acting unselfish, while a system 
of education is carefully prepared to teach a method of 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. IO9 

hiding selfishness. Natural independence can only 
be maintained by the courage that faith in an over- 
ruling power will establish. It is more a sacrifice of 
material reward to maintain an independent stand than 
to be persuaded to follow and become dependent upon 
a leader. It completely reverses the sentiment that an 
independent person is selfish, which fact is strictly con- 
fined to a dependent person. The effort of educators 
and scribes in all ages has been to hide this simple fact 
— that natural education maintains the balance of 
power against the theoretic. There is no better literal 
authority for natural education than the Bible, and no 
better proof of the fact exists than the multitude of 
theoretic interpreters making such desperate effort to 
hide it. 

Politics is the science of (a) government and the 
theoretic effort to confound a civil government with 
the government of God is just where the leak is, for 
the government of God is natural, strictly independent 
of politics or theoretic efforts. 

A principle is merely a figure of "a fundamental 
truth," for words, signs, and figures are only relative 
to natural animation — a self-revealing phenomenon of 
spirit that all the theory and science of man has never 
been able to analyze. Reasonable philosophers admit 
it, and among themselves it is a settled conviction ; but 
when literal education, including moral ethics, is the 
subject of discussion the effort to hide "settled" con- 
victions is the best proof in the world that such con- 
victions are unsettled, or there would be no object in 
trying to convince another they were settled. Atten- 
tion should be concentrated upon the object, rather 
than the profundity of argument, or extravagant dis- 



no THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

play of rhetoric, for rhetoric and politics have always 
been companions since the beginning of recorded 
events. Philanthropy and politics are as combative as 
good and evil, the bone of contention being the con- 
trol of education, a self-asserting principle no less than 
an independent personality as much so as one snow 
flake is independent of another. 

Thus an object of serious import must exist if edu- 
cators are as ready to enlighten the public as their 
declaration of purpose would imply. If they are as 
free to act as their words suggest, they would unite 
with the petition of babes (the voice of God) to ex- 
pose the political effort to control education. The 
effort to hide its simplicity cannot continue indefinitely 
from the mere noise of rhetoric, for silent intelligence 
(natural intelligence) is as unconquerable as it is un- 
analytic. The possibility of teaching the language of 
love is the natural privilege of parents, which counter- 
acts the political effort to "break the child's will in 
the cradle" that it may become a "better citizen" and 
obediently serve at the command of the body politic. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. Ill 



CHAPTER XIV. 



ASSOCIATION. 



ASSOCIATION is a natural condition dependent upon 
independent units. This assertion is more to present 
a comparison than to contradict literal authority which 
declares an incident closed, or settled, whenever a 
group of persons by their own fiat agree not to dis- 
pute it, but the Power that turns the earth is above 
the command of man and a touch of that Power is 
bestowed upon every living thing. In proof of which, 
personal experience is a sacred revelation, because it 
is nearer to God, and occurred before letters were dis- 
covered. Therefore, whatever virtue there may be in 
literal authority, it has never reached the power to 
command experience. The beginning of personality is 
no secret to the individual person, but the discovery 
of another person of like image establishes the prin- 
ciple of association when literal education becomes 
possible by reason of comparison that the fact of asso- 
ciation suggests, the economy of which, being its most 
important feature. 

When the sense of fear is played upon by predeces- 
sors having no other authority than an earlier begin- 
ning, nothing but the force of love will protect a child 
from becoming the victim of political influence. The 
effort to disguise the most important feature of life by 
seeking to cripple the will of a child when the brain 



112 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

is plastic with a disposition confidential, turns the 
principle of education to murder, or even worse. The 
wrong lies in the teaching of psychology as derived 
from pagan precedent. The child is deceived from its 
confidence in the parent who was previously deceived 
by the same process. If the study of psychology is to 
strengthen the mental faculties by exercise, no excep- 
tion to it need be considered, but when it flatters the 
parent for the purpose of controlling the child, the real 
purpose of psychology is revealed. 

The effort to supersede the association of parent and 
child by state authority is the reason for so much 
mental labor bestowed upon the science of mind. The 
reason psychology remains a theory is because the 
facts cannot be changed to accommodate the desired 
end, for which the science is studied ; the real fact of 
individual experience determines more than any 
written word can portray. For instance, language is 
a comparison of common interest, so simple that no 
doubt exists between two persons before letters are 
introduced. It is not only a fact of memory but a com- 
mon observation, the very superlative of education. 
Written testimony, this writing, could be treated too 
abtruse, or too simple as the case might be ; in either 
case it would the more surely verify the fact. Human 
nature is often declared to be of two-fold character, 
the one inherent and the other environment, yet the 
stubborn fact would be as divine and brilliant as ever. 
It so thoroughly contradicts any school of philosophy 
seeking to maintain a passing dogma, that a child de- 
pends for its education upon the transmission of intel- 
ligence by letter, either from its parent or teacher. 
The multitude of writings bearing upon ethical asso- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. II3 

ciation simply dispute each other in striving to prove 
the child's dependence upon its predecessors for intel- 
ligence ; call it know^ledge or whatever sign one 
chooses, the natural ability to make the sign, show^s of 
itself, the continued futility of trying to trespass upon 
the realm of God. Letters are the means of recording 
knowledge and whatever assistance they render in the 
line of commerce and progress, the intrinsic virtue of 
knowledge continues to be a personal privilege, in 
degree, however feeble, the principle is not disturbed 
an atom. The Bible is a written record of this prin- 
ciple requiring no interpretation after a person pos- 
sesses the ability to read. The teaching of letters and 
terminology is mere abstract education, the extreme 
limit of predecessors. The ancient heroes, pagan or 
otherwise, received their title as such after they were 
dead, since heroes are always more remarkable in 
death than during the brief period of dwelling within 
the flesh. 

Political and theoretical effort to compel obedience 
to the body politic is a prerogative of the heathens, 
who made strenuous efforts to prevent the art of let- 
ters becoming common ; and only by a change of 
method is the same effort disguised at the present 
time. Any economy of education would doubtless be 
as strenuously combatted by the present ruling prin- 
ciple of polity. That the freedom of the will makes 
evil possible needs no comment, for it touches the per- 
sonality of experience, which is sufficiently instructive, 
without the purchase of relief, for which the polity of 
literal art is always seeking patronage as eagerly as a 
rnerchant seeks customers for his goods. 

To consider association as an ideal principle is the 



114 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

limit of letters, leaving the actual fact of two persons 
seeking correspondence, to the domain of Nature. Ad- 
mitting even that ideals transcend the regularity of 
natural law, it cannot be denied successfully that 
ideals are other than personal property, the title to 
which being clear, the possession also as unsolicited as 
individual birth, it makes the relation of abstract edu- 
cation to the absolute necessity of association of prime 
importance ; not only to one person but to every per- 
son. Combativeness is as necessary to progress as a 
"fall" is to a babe — that it may rise in knowledge. Be- 
cause of its necessity, in no sense does it justify evil, 
Christianity presents a scheme of atonement, but the 
present body politic, who betray their knowledge of 
this simple fact, by striving constantly to hide it, are 
as guilty as the Roman Empire was of the crucifixion. 
Greed may be as necessary as combativeness or the 
"fall" — frequently termed "original sin." 

Every human thought is simply an ideal draft of 
purpose that poets and scholars rave about ever since 
the discovery of letters, but they were first woven into 
literature by the heathens who persisted in calling the 
(art) knowledge, for political reason. Socrates dis- 
covered the subterfuge and the same art in its proper 
place recorded his fate, which is now a matter of his- 
tory. If the body politic of the present day would per- 
mit, or could they be persuaded to teach children in 
the primary grades the simple fact, that knowledge 
made letters rather than what is taught that letters 
make knowledge, parents would begin, at least, to 
learn that their children were being crucified on the 
cross of greed under the present order of education. 

Proof is the first demand that is made upon an ideal 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. II5 

conception, but even this prompt demand suggests a 
question to learn what is to be proved. When so 
many people, renowned in history, and continue to be 
remarkable, refuse to believe the statement of an eye 
witness, besides, what is still worse, which is often the 
case, people will not admit what they do believe. 
Now a thought is either an individual concept or per- 
sonality is an irresponsible condition and whatever 
proof is demanded, this alternative demands attention, 
or proof of any character would be hopelessly impos- 
sible. A logical conclusion upon this line of argument 
would be that animals were more favored by reason 
of not being endowed with sufficient intelligence to 
establish literal commerce. Whatever objection could 
be offered against the principle of association or edu- 
cation, a disrespect for the individuality of an ideal 
thought would be disrespect for the first principle of 
progress and civilization that has always been and 
forever will be, from dire necessity, the gulf between 
the animal instinct and human intelligence. 

The proof of an ideal thought is confined to the ex- 
perience, and no system of psychology can teach the 
principle without the experience which is also essen- 
tial to the person taught. That is, the ability to re- 
ceive the instruction could not be taught, without be- 
traying the incongruity to a person in possession of 
the only known method by which an ideal thought is 
possible. The teaching of abstracts is not immedi- 
ately connected with the relation of association. It is 
the convenience and possibility of teaching abstracts 
that can as readily destroy the constructive character 
of the mind, as to break a child's legs to prevent it 
from going astray. 



Il6 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

It is a personal privilege to believe or not to believe 
whether there is any sin in Nature, but one position or 
the other must be taken to maintain any theory of ab- 
stract education, if the rules of logic are respected, 
upon which all theories rest. If a parent can be even 
persuaded that a child is conceived in sin it can as 
readily be maintained that compulsory education is a 
necessity to correct the evil. Whatever the Scriptures 
say upon the subject and whatever theoretic interpre- 
tations could be deducted from them, it would be dif- 
ficult to convince an enlightened parent that a child 
is conceived in sin. If this is an exploded theory, why 
are not the consequences exploded also? If the state 
ignores the most prominent feature of Christianity 
(moral suasion) by compelling children to become 
good citizens, how can it be consistently explained, 
when the result is superficial Christians by developing 
the human possibility to sin, by the very compulsion 
that is radically in opposition to the example of 
Christ? 

If the sin is not in Nature, there cannot be any rea- 
sonable accounting for its existence, except it is de- 
rived from the mistakes in education. Even a horse 
could be compelled to kick when the same energy 
could be directed to a better purpose by the simple 
method of persuasion. If the weakness of the indi- 
vidual is strengthened by association, the association 
must recognize the mutual obligation of each unit to 
the other, for to employ the strength of the associa- 
tion to compel a unit to submit to the dictation of the 
association, with punishment inflicted to enforce it, 
leaves the individual as dependent upon natural re- 
sources as before he became a part of the association. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. II7 

This is a mere logical sequence of cultivating a confi- 
dence in association and taking advantage of weak- 
ness only to betray it. It is what is, rather than what 
ought to be, that humanity has to contend with whether 
willing or not. 

There is nothing more prominent in human affairs 
than that of natural association being utilized to effect 
the contrary to that which intelligent reason as such 
cannot evade. The strenuous effort to maintain that 
knowledge is obtained by transmission depends for 
transient success upon the employment of the strength 
of association to subdue and control the weak. The 
fact that all such success is transient shows conclu- 
sively that a person knows it or his degree of learning 
is extremely limited. If it is not safe to teach the 
truth for fear society will be trampled under foot by 
the masses, too weak to comprehend the power of ar- 
tificial defence, may it be a child or adult person, so- 
ciety would be better preserved in the absence of edu- 
cation. The effort to control natural education by 
deductions, which develop a skillful method of dis- 
sembling, makes the inherent character of knowledge 
more prominent than the abstract which utilizes the 
art of letters to teach that knowledge is derived from 
association, when to the contrary it is association 
which, by the natural order of things, derives its 
knowledge from its integral parts. 

The child is the natural teacher of the parent, 
whether self-elect educators are able to convince the 
parent or not to the contrary. Only for the natural 
love of the parent for the child, association would be 
impossible. The abstracts of this principle would no 
doubt convince people who have been previously 



Il8 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

taught to believe that knowledge was revealed at 
some remote age and transmitted to posterity, when 
in fact knowledge is revealed to every child that lives 
long enough to see the light of day or experience the 
force of gravity. 

The first flash of light to the vision of a child is 
the same revelation that Christ exemplified and the 
disputes that letters made possible, have been confined 
to the interpretation of Christianity which is involved 
in education, because political interests have contended 
against its simplicity since the crucifixion. If a child's 
natural knowledge can be overcome by artificial knowl- 
edge it is no more than the extinction of a spark that 
snaps into existence. To extinguish the source of the 
spark, however, is beyond the limit of man. 

The fact that education is necessary to compre- 
hend the written record of the events pertaining to 
Christianity makes education important as a political 
power to control the interpretations of the Scripture 
in such a way that the spiritual character could only 
be reached or understood, except by learned interpre- 
tation. The effort to teach that education is derived 
from predecessors, and also try to explain away their 
conspicuous sins by a skillful manipulation of words, 
shows the same motive in teaching that the child is 
dependent upon association for a knowledge of letters 
by which the revelation of God may be known. It is 
so contrary to the spirit of the Scriptures, that the 
political efifort to control education is not so much to 
enlighten the masses as to keep them in darkness. If 
this is not a fact, the alternative demands attention, 
which is a proposition direct to the individual. Why 
is literal education made possible by the discovery of 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. II9 

letters, maintained by the power of association, which 
is also dependent upon the individual wills of its com- 
position, so extravagantly constructed as to be pro- 
hibitive and extremely expensive, while the natural 
continues to be free ? 



CHAPTER XV. 



INDEPENDENCE. 



T NDEPENDENCE is not an acquirement derived from 
-*■ the seeking, but instead it is a disconnected condition 
separate from the natural whole. To exist independent 
of what constitutes the whole of anything is like a 
drop of water taken from the ocean when the balance 
of the water would be as powerless to control the inde- 
pendent action of the drop as the drop would be in its 
most energetic effort be able to control the ocean. 
Multitudes of theories have been advanced only to be 
superseded by others to control the simple principle 
of independence. 

the economy of method reflecting the motive, whether 
it is philanthropic or political as the case may be. 
Personal independence could be selfishness to a degree 
that would make philanthropy a mere pretence. 
Whichever position a person takes, the alternative be- 
tween independence or submission to the same prin- 
ciple exercised by another, is a dual condition as fixed 



I20 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

The matter in hand, is education as a purpose with 
as light and darkness and responsibility and fatalism 
are contrarities equally as extreme. In whatever light 
conscious existence is viewed the problem can only 
be determined individually with all the accompanying 
duties that the teaching of theories surround a person. 
The polity of teaching individual dependence depends 
for success upon the sense of fear, but only a partial 
success, however, for comfortable safety will not en- 
tirely extinguish the light of understanding. Inde- 
pendence is so distinctly a feature of conception as 
to be a matter of common observation. Discretion 
may be a result of education akin to polity, but the 
sacred character of personality is more prominent, 
even if the effort of discretion is to disguise it. The 
light of natural education is so inherent and persistent 
in conquering the effort of its abstract to control the 
natural principle, brings the individual to a strict ac- 
counting, not to any other man, but to himself. Ignor- 
ance is a virtue, as much as the moral nature of ani- 
mals and any abstract theory formulated to supersede 
its own source ; call it education, cultivation, or reli- 
gion ; it is slavery compared to the example and teach- 
ing of Christ, 

When children are taught to follow the precepts of 
their predecessors as a road leading to success and 
freedom from drudgery, the followers become so in- 
volved in expectation as to bear disappointment with 
fortitude; and after becoming warped to a belief in the 
very system that so ingeniously cultivates the surface, 
it completely silences the inner thoughts. Examples 
of misfortune are referred to as the result of unwilling- 
ness to follow a system more remarkable for hiding 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 121 

evil, than showing how it can be overcome. There is 
a tranquility in complete resignation that presents an 
appearance of grace in humble service that is foreign 
to a designing leader, who envies the success of an in- 
dependent character, and betrays it by the efifort he 
makes in denouncing the principle. 

That an individual is dependent upon God is not a 
question of education or controversy, it is a sacred re- 
lation, and to whatever extent education can be util- 
ized to clear this principle from its political fog, it is 
worthy of respect. It presents a different aspect, how- 
ever, when children are taught a dependence upon 
their predecessors for rules of duty, when if history is 
at all reliable, our predecessors were more remark- 
able for sin, tyranny, and bloodshed than they were for 
philanthropy. The exceptions that were worthy of 
emulation were those who defended the principle of 
liberty and independence by defying the persecution of 
political authority. A question of education cannot 
be logically considered in its dual character without 
first agreeing to treat the subject either in its con- 
crete form or its abstracts — the concrete is the natural 
while the abstracts are the limit of political power. 

It is not considered by educators that children could 
be taught to understand the relations of abstracts to 
generalities, and even the sub-educated often betray 
a remarkable ignorance of a principle which makes 
education possible. The disposition to follow is taken 
advantage of by the very spirit of independence that 
is a common privilege if experience and observations 
even are given a moderate attention. Now if abstract 
education could possibly guide the natural, as a strong- 
minded man can persuade another to follow rather 



122 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

than cultivate the common privilege of independence, 
the motive for teaching a dependence upon predeces- 
sors for knowledge is revealed by the light of logic at 
least, but logic and rules of reasoning are only referred 
to by leaders who are learned in the esoteric method 
of attracting followers. To justify a method by which 
the credulous can be persuaded to follow, even the 
rules of logic are laid aside, and only some ingenious 
excuse can justify the deception. 

The most common method to confound the human 
understanding is sarcasm, wit, and social ostracism, 
which have superseded the earlier methods of perse- 
cution, scarcely less effective, however ; presenting a 
mere alternative between a lingering death or an im- 
mediate execution. It is not a question of dispute but 
that education is correcting the evils of past in spite 
of the conservative effort to confine progress to its 
present limit. "Let well enough alone," is a senti- 
ment of the fossil, but there is a touch of God — inde- 
pendence — bestowed upon the entire human race that 
the most ingenious effort of man cannot fossilize. 
Knowledge and education both are direct from God 
entirely independent of literal transmission which is 
only an abstract from the general principle. In proof 
of an assertion which the polity of man holds in con- 
tempt, and disputes it when cornered, is Christ's mis- 
sion on earth. This is an independent testimony from 
which no theological dispute is sought, or will be con- 
sidered except as friend to friend, or man to man. 

The general principle of education is literally 
smothered by its abstracts ; and when it is taught in- 
directly in effect, that the husk is of more impor- 
tance than the kernel, the relation of abstracts to orig- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I23 

inal principles is as simple as the conception of light 
by a babe. To impugn a testimony and demand proof 
other than the personal presence of the testifier con- 
stitutes a proof itself that men's confidence in each 
other compares very unfavorably with the confidence of 
a child in its parents or what is possible for love to 
establish. The silent testimony of a babe that it sees 
the light is confirmed by simply moving the light, and 
independent thinking is equally as natural a privilege. 
Thus to impugn a testimony expressed in words is a 
psychological impossibility without betraying the 
same error or falsehood that an accuser might seek to 
fasten upon another. The most sublime feature of the 
principle of independence is the privilege of thought 
so utterly beyond the power of another to prevent, 
that even the babe bears testimony in its first feeble 
conception of the light. 

The fact that so much literature has been produced 
seeking to hide the simple fact of personal independ- 
ence is more proof of the polity purpose of the pro- 
ducer, than any sincere feelings of philanthropy. 
Modern novels professedly for moral improvement, 
sincerely meant to be and possibly may be, are still 
more remarkable in seeking to show the dependency 
of the child upon abstract education and the necessity 
of a mediator between itself and its Creator. When a 
person shows an indifference to the exemplification of 
their own precepts, such cannot hide the purpose from 
observation even if they enjoy a temporary elate in 
attracting followers. Education again, may establish 
a surface figure of moral rectitude, but the education 
that reaches the inner man is the point that independ- 
ent personality only can determine. 



124 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

In a friendly discussion judgment should be re- 
served for the individual consideration of a possible 
audience. Oratory and eloquence are brilliant prod- 
ucts of education and very much enhanced by abstract 
teaching; the exercise will attract followers who mis- 
take wit and sarcasm for logic, while a learned man to 
be such could not be mistaken in the arts employed to 
mislead an audience. Polity and philanthropy can be 
contrary motives and when the thoughts of others are 
claimed to be molded by the influence of others it touches 
the most delicate feature of education which its economy 
would reach and also expose any motive for maintain- 
ing a system that could only be purchased with money. 
That is, a refusal to consider simple methods by which 
all classes were recognized as having equal opportu- 
nity, would betray the polity of extravagance and ex- 
pose the insincerity of seeking to educate for the com- 
mon good. To educate with a view of maintaining ex- 
clusive relation by employing natural independence for 
the purpose of teaching a dependency of the weak 
upon the mercy of the strong is not philanthropy sim- 
ply because it is possible to do it. 

Natural education is slow, but it has the advantage 
of being inexpensive. It is also free from the influence 
of polity, if it is a waste of time against the quicker 
process of buying education, the quality would have 
to be considered by a comparison of the two systems. 
The proposition of a like character was settled figura- 
tively at the Tower of Babel, but the conflict between 
natural education and its abstracts, or the literal, is 
reserved for individual independence to solve ; other- 
wise progress would have reached its limit long ago. 
The independence of one person to assert a fiat of au- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 125 

thority over another is no less the independence of 
the other to refuse. It is an equality of principle that 
the educated must concede to the uneducated if they 
are sincere in seeking to settle disputes without blood- 
shed. 

The continued efiforts of educators to invoke the 
power of civil authority to maintain theories while the 
sublime principle of education is refuting the efTort, 
is offset by the silent thought of the masses, independ- 
ent of theories in their dependent relation direct to 
their Creator. Is it more probable that God will for- 
sake the weak to strengthen the strong under the pres- 
ent order of things, when the records of the past can 
be read free of expense, while theories and oratory can 
only be obtained at great cost. A person needs very 
little education to read the Bible independent of inter- 
preters, and also learn from history that oratory could 
not save Rome. Also the floods of oratory poured out 
to conserve the fugitive slave law were powerless to 
save it. 

Independence is a natural trait of common human- 
ity. It is a contesting principle against any arbitrary 
rules of education that are disguised in despotic polity. 
The weakest specimen of humanity is the more readily 
enslaved, but the fact that a fugitive slave law was 
necessary shows that the lowest type of humanity pos- 
sessed the natural disposition of freedom. The rela- 
tion of education, when it is conducted by arbitrary 
rules, to the principle of slavery, needs to be studied 
with extreme care, and the prejudice of selfishness 
should be eliminated from the study. The slave of 
every character is liberated by the natural desire for 
independence, and courage to flee from bondage. If 



126 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

arbitrary education enforced by legal statute is only 
another form of a fugitive slave law, it should be dis- 
cussed in the open, for if it depends upon a disguise 
of purpose, it can be for no other than the attempt at 
least to compel the weak to serve the strong. 

The virtue of righteousness is preserved in the base 
or lowly of humanity. To teach a child an obligation 
to its predecessors for knowledge, is an effort to super- 
sede the power of God in revealing daylight to the 
child. The disposition of man to enslave his kind is 
a matter of record that letters made possible, and 
since the chattel slave was freed by his own courage 
to flee from it, the disposition to command a service 
by reason of a superior knowledge takes the form of 
education. It is passing strange that civilization ad- 
vanced against the opposition of dominant interests 
to the education of the masses, and now education is 
made so expensive as to practically serve the same in- 
terests. Independent courage to flee from the pitfalls 
that nothing but experience reveals is the education 
that progress depends upon. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 12/ 



CHAPTER XVr. 



OBLIGATION. 



11 JORAL obligation is a duty of self-preservation. Its 
counterpart would be suicide, providing it was a de- 
liberate act of the will. It is an open question, how- 
ever, for speculative psychology to determine whether 
a person is responsible for an act of the will when the 
same speculative efifort would show the possibility of 
molding the will to a state of obedience by outside in- 
fluence. If the child is under obligation to the parent 
and the parent is under obligation to the State which 
in turn obtains its authority by its own fiat of divine 
decree, obligation would therefore rest with the state, 
for, to the extent of its power to educate the will of 
its subjects individual obligation would cease. This 
would be a logical conclusion by the rules of educa- 
tors, but if two measures are employed, one for the 
teacher and another for the taught, the salvation of 
humanity depends more upon the direct relation be- 
tween the child and its Creator than upon any state or 
mediator requiring an exceptional rule to measure its 
own moral obligations. 

It would be a mere subterfuge of legal acumen 
to shift the responsibility of the state upon the people 
who did not know enough, or were too credulous and 
timid to offer any defence. This discrepancy between 
legal obligations and moral obligations is the propo- 



128 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

sition for educators, who are responsible for the pres- 
ent school system to consider. 

When the marvelous advent of a babe with its or- 
ganic structure is the object of consideration, moral 
obligations are to the child rather than from the child, 
but the touch of God that gives it life is from the same 
God that bestowed the touch of love upon the parent. 
It establishes a mutual relation bestowed upon the 
parent and child both, irrespective of any education 
derived from literal transmission. That is, love is as 
natural as life itself, it would be absurd to claim that 
life was the result of an obligation to life for its own 
sake. Education is as inseparable from evil or a 
"fall" as gravitation and the privilege of a child to ob- 
tain knowledge. This principle of deception, educa- 
tion is as dependent upon, as a shadow is upon light; 
and moral obligations rest upon the mutual love of 
parent and child. Education and slavery of some char- 
acter have been companions since letters were first 
invented. Until within a few years, to dispute the in- 
terpretations of the Bible established by civil authority 
was to dispute the Bible itself, yet the Book maintains 
its inspiration without civil authority. That is to say, 
it maintains its own law independent of national pro- 
tection, for organized governments have as strenu- 
ously fought to destroy it. Men may organize with a 
declared purpose to defend the Bible and equally for 
the pvirpose of defending the sunlight. The very his- 
tory of the Bible and its continuous existence is evi- 
dence of its possessing the power of its own defence, 
showing that the effort to defend it is in reality the 
effort to evade its precepts. The relation of educa- 
tion to moral obligation is not a matter of legal author- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I29 

ity for which monarchies have fought each other to 
determine, but all in vain. The effort to teach moral 
obligation is as impossible as to improve the truth by- 
establishing a system of education to first teach it to 
be possible, and to believe it to be possible would only 
result in disappointment. The simplicity of education 
would be as simple and self-revealing as the Bible if 
educators who know it to be a fact did not replace the 
knowledge by the pretence of benefitting the child, by 
the power of legal control over the parent. It is this 
ability to take advantage of ignorance that makes it 
possible to convince a parent that a child is obligated 
to its predecessors for its future happiness and moral 
obligation. Because knowledge and human intelli- 
gence is the truth and education a principle as natural 
as growth, is the reason it can be appropriated by 
dominant interests in defiance of moral obligations. 

The same light that reveals the duplicity of man will 
also reveal whatever good qualities he may possess. 
Also the privilege of art is a common inheritance as 
indestructible as light, yet the child in its confidence 
can be taught to believe in proportion to its fear, by 
any person in whom it trusts. The fact that confi- 
dence may be betrayed shows an important distinction 
between natural education, guided by the sublime 
touch of love and artificial education guided by com- 
mercial interests. If freedom and liberty justifies the 
deception of a child to the extent of depriving it of its 
natural judgment beyond a possibility of using its own 
inner conception to determine what obligation means, 
freedom would be a sentiment only, and slavery of 
some character a necessity. The slave to be of any 
value to his master must be obedient. If, therefore. 



130 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

the theoretic teaching that posterity is obligated to 
its predecessors is true, chattel slavery was a virtue in 
comparison to the effort to make slaves responsible 
for artificial education that would, if true, consign 
mankind to a bondage that the lowest brute is free 
from. 

The extravagant system of artificial education is 
self-destructive in like manner to all methods of sla- 
very in the past. Both systems of oppressions can be 
justified as a natural necessity to the enlightenment of 
humanity. Sincerity even cannot escape the natural 
adjustment of the mistakes that art permits. Reason, 
however, is not an artificial production and if the mis- 
takes of the past can be avoided by merely changing 
the method of oppression, surely reason has no ground 
to rest upon. It is not necessary to dispute the power 
of God in bestowing specific inspiration upon Christ 
or His sincere followers. It is more to the point for 
an individual to determine whether he is willing to ac- 
cept whatever inspiration he receives as free as the 
revelation of sunlight, or be persuaded to pay for sec- 
ond-hand thoughts and remain in figurative darkness. 

Literal words to convey second-hand thoughts, the 
specifically inspired are just as dependent upon for the 
distribution of such thoughts, as the babe is for its 
inspiration to express its want to its mother. There 
is no monopoly in the principle of inspiration, regard- 
less of any special inspiration that one can claim for 
himself or declare that another possessed. It is literal 
words artificially made from the human discovery of 
letters that designing man seeks to monopolize. Such 
words are the medium of conveyance only, they pos- 
sess no power to monopolize inspiration any more than 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I3I 

mechanical tools have. All instruments made by the 
hand of man are artificial whether they are letters 
from which words are made or tools from which ma- 
chines are made ; therefore in either case the power, 
call it inspiration or whatever you will, it is a revela- 
tion from God and if the Bible does not contain the 
"Word of God," it does not contain the word of man 
who is dependent upon God for every sound or mo- 
tion he makes. A man deifies himself, or tries to, by 
proclaiming that the Scriptures are not the Word of 
God. The Bible proves, and maintains itself against 
all the scholastic effort to disprove it. It is simply 
idle to deny an existing presence by the mere literary 
ability to convince a group of followers that what is 
present is also absent. Education can cripple the men- 
tal organs as well as it can improve them, and when 
second-hand thoughts can be forced into the brain by 
either political or state authority it is more than prob- 
able that a person so afflicted will be unable to use his 
natural constructive faculties to make a thought for 
himself. That a person can be mentally murdered and 
physically exist in comparative health is too obvious 
a fact to call attention to. It will simply show that 
the disposition of man to oppress his kind is just as 
prevalent to-day as when chattel slavery was legally 
protected. It is the disposition, however, that con- 
cerns literal education, for a person who is naturally 
born free, and taught to believe that it was the result 
of artificial education, cannot be made to understand 
why he is a slave, for the spiritual instinct of free- 
dom is from God, and no person can be deprived of 
that by any process of education that the genius of 
man ever invented. Just as fast as ignorant laymen 



132 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

get courage enough to think without believing they 
must be taught what to think, Biblical controversy- 
will decrease and literal education will be simplified. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



TESTIMONY. 



'pESTIMONY may be withheld at the option of the 
■'■ will ; it is strictly a personal privilege to make decla- 
ration in speech or by the art of letter, the propriety of 
such action being subject to the influence of education. 
It presents an alternative between duty and policy in 
which the relation of natural education to the artificial 
is involved. The alternative of choice is a contingency 
over which neither education or the power of the will 
has any command. It points to a direct relation with 
God that all the literature, the art of letters ever pro- 
duced is powerless to change. 

It is of little importance whether a testimony is/ 
adjudged true or false by the tribunal of state set up 
by man, when the unseen court of the individual con- 
science knows the testimony is true. It is not nec- 
essary to prove to the second person the reality of a 
personal thought to establish the fact that the thought 
exists. If this important feature must be carefully 
withheld from persons of feeble understanding for fear 
they cannot use the information with discretion, it 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I33 

throws a responsibility upon artificial education that 
will have to be settled. What man by his own testi- 
mony will assert that his authority should be obeyed 
by reason of his reputation or social standing? It is 
often declared that "liberty is not license." Is repu- 
tation license to the utter extinction of the principle 
of liberty? What does the word liberty signify if none 
but the man of reputation can define it? Does the 
child have to be taught by men of reputation that 
sugar is sweet? Does a person require a license be- 
fore he can exercise his natural liberty to be moral? 
When educational institutions advertise indirectly to 
teach etymology in such exact perfection that natural 
obligations can be overcome, it may be profitable and 
also the evidence of liberty, but the point is for the 
individual to consider whether artificial morality can 
command the Spiritual or natural. If a person must 
first possess ability to prove a testimony before it is 
proper to utter it, it would be equivalent to the de- 
mand upon a child to prove its title to an existence. 
What proof can supersede the personal presence of a 
man seeking for words or signs to make his thoughts 
clear to another person? "Is he worthy of recogni- 
tion ?" is a common inquiry. "We !" but who are "we" 
in the sight of God? Did Christ ever ask a person, 
giving testimony, if he was worthy of confidence with- 
out showing a diploma endorsing his reputation? It 
could be readily answered that Christ knew whether 
a petitioner was speaking the truth or not. Very well, 
but did the privilege of testimony cease with the cruci- 
fixion? The invention of letters permitted events to 
be recorded, but the difficulty of determining the truth 
of personal testimony is just as distant as ever. 



134 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

A priestly apotheosis depends upon testimony as 
much so as the feeble effort of a babe to convince its 
mother that it had fallen out of bed. The babe gives 
evidence of knowledge long before it falls into the 
intricacies of etymology. Whatever authority the 
state possesses it cannot escape the authority of God's 
government, and what the individual wants to learn, 
is the conflicting difference between two rival gov- 
ernments. It could be vastly simplified if educators 
had no other motive than what they profess to have. 
Testimony, however, is a common privilege and the 
"fall," the first known method by which knowledge 
was revealed to the human race ; that men of method 
have fought to the death disputing over a simple testi- 
mony does not change the principle of testimony as 
such. Conflicting testimony presents a point of equal- 
ity in the principle, by which the testimony is con- 
structed in the mind. It is in the inspiration that 
suggests the thought which precedes the act of expres- 
sion. Because an object suggests different thoughts 
to different persons, it simply proves the personality 
of testimony rather than effecting any change in the 
object perceived. The child and parent are objects of 
each others' observation, and having no knowledge of 
letters, communication must from necessity be natural ; 
and if the parent is in possession of the art of letters 
the situation remains the same, for letters are a blank 
to the child who has no means of conception or percep- 
tion other than natural or what God bestows upon it. 
Another important point is, the parent never doubts 
the testimony of the child in whatever form it is ut- 
tered. 

Now testimony in letters or written words is just 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I35 

as much a result of inspiration as the natural knowledge 
by which the child perceives and conceives in utter 
absence of a knowledge of letters. The difference, 
therefore, between a natural testimony and that which 
is artificial is the difference between the truth and the 
sign representing it ; not that the sign itself is false to 
its object, but the possibility of it is the matter in 
hand. That is, the sign can be changed to serve the 
interest of man or that of the state and the credulous 
who are illiterate can be misled by any person of suffi- 
cient ability to win their confidence. If the testimony 
of a child is more reliable than that of the artificial 
.educator, it is no less the privilege of an adult person 
to read the Bible and discover as much, at least, as a 
child knows who could not read it. 

The difficulty of comprehending literal instruction 
makes it appear that knowledge depends upon literal 
conveyance or perception and the strenuous care by 
which this simple principle is guarded is its weakest 
link. Pitfalls can only be avoided by education except 
it is recognized that education itself is a pitfall that 
depends upon relative experience. If children could 
be compelled to accept the knowledge of predecessors 
exclusively it would be a pitfall of utter annihilation 
or slavery of some character. Artificial education is 
limited to correction of the evil of its own creation, 
for the balance of power is derived from the natural 
education that the parent derives from the child. Hence 
artificial education is constantly digging its own grave 
by defending the state as an instructor when its natu- 
ral position can only be confined to the protection of 
the freedom of art. If the weak testimony of the babe 
can be trampled upon by the stronger testimony that 



136 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

art makes possible, the power of God could be de- 
stroyed by its own creation, and the authority of love 
made subordinate to the power of its own effort. The 
natural fall of the child against the artificial fall that 
is thrust upon it, presents a conflict of authority that 
love only can overcome. The ability of art to present 
an attraction to greed or the lesser desire of a child in 
proportion to its weakness makes artificial education 
responsible for the evil or sin charged to the feeble 
child or ignorance of the adult. The written testimony 
of Christ's mission on earth and the petition of the 
child are striking parallels in comparison to the fall 
of Rome, that represented the power of art and also 
its weakness. What is art in comparison to the power 
of God, to open the lips of an innocent babe? Arti 
ficial conceit in contention over what pertains to the 
Word of God, when every babe proclaims it by its 
first effort to exist, is the vain effort of scholars to dis- 
sect the Bible. For what purpose? To command a 
following or to sustain a declining empire, yet Rome 
fell, but the Bible, compiled politically for the single 
purpose of maintaining temporal authority, continued 
to live. 

Testimony may be oral or written, natural or arti- 
ficial, true or false, but in any event it is educational, 
while the point of authority and discernment con- 
tinue to be a matter of dispute. Now if a person could 
be persuaded to come down from his high altitude and 
lay aside his "settled" convictions long enough to 
study the testimony of a babe, he could make a com- 
parison between natural language and the artificial 
(literal). The words of the babe cannot be literally in- 
terpreted because they are the direct voice of God, 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I37 

for the reason that the babe has no knowledge of let- 
ters, but nevertheless it is in communion with God 
sufficient to make its wants known. Such a study 
would be parallel to the effort of the Roman Empire 
trying to educate natural Christians to a condition of 
servile obedience by teaching literal Christianity, or 
what would be practically the same thing, to teach 
that Christianity depended upon literal knowledge. 
The clergy of the Church after Christianity was na- 
tionalized knew better, by reason of their struggle 
to make the transmission of spiritual revelation de- 
pend upon literal words. The testimony of a peer in 
scholarship can be disputed in words of his own de- 
fining, but the point is, can the testimony of the babe 
be disputed? It is by no means new that it would be 
dangerous for the common people to know anything 
that was not literally transmitted to them by their 
superiors, previously derived from predecessors. But 
would it not be more dangerous to posterity if the 
testimony of the babe was disputed? 

Again it could be claimed that artificial education 
supersedes the natural or at least corrects it, but it is 
as old as the literary pirates who murdered Socrates 
for fear education would become too common, when 
it was well known that they could become tempted by 
attractions. Is not the present educational system 
striving to accomplish what the ancients failed to do? 
That is, can artificial education supersede the natural 
by simply making the artificial so attractive that the 
necessary importance of the natural can be lost sight 
of? If a slave can become trained to believe that 
humble obedience to another person in his own image 
is a virtue, it is parallel to believing that knowledge 



138 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

is derived from our predecessors. That a sincere be- 
lief can become crystalized into a condition of ortho- 
doxy is no more strange than that men distinguished 
for scholarly ability, appeared at least, to be sincere in 
believing it to be right to claim others in their own 
image to be property. This condition treated as a 
fact explains why scholars of equal ability will dispute 
over systems of education, while neither would admit 
that natural education possessed any virtue, and still 
further they would deny the right of laymen to discuss 
a subject of which they — professors — were disagreed 
upon. A devotee of written testimony should not 
overlook the very principle which he advocates. The 
very presence of the written testimony makes his own 
but the shadow derived from the light of inspiration 
that is a common revelation, or the writing itself 
would appear absurd in view of his exclusive privilege 
to interpret it ; for otherwise writing in a common lan- 
guage, would be an anomaly in the presence of a per- 
son who could as well assert his exclusive authority 
without the writing as with it. The very presence, 
therefore, of a written testimony contains its own in- 
spiration while a necessity for interpretation would 
destroy it. It brushes away the persistent effort to the 
simple understanding of a child, and cripples its natu- 
ral faculties by substituting the attraction of art. The 
testimony of the babe, as much so as the Bible, is an- 
chored to the reciprocity of love that even state auth- 
ority cannot supersede. The child's title to direct in- 
spiration is so clear by reason of its own testimony that 
it even supersedes the authority of the parent. The 
institution of the state or any collective society is as 
art to nature compared to the testimony of the babe 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I39 

inspired to open its mouth, so absolutely independent of 
art that art itself is dependent upon the principle for 
its deceptive character. 

It is the only testimony that cannot destroy itself in 
abstract disputation. Art against art is continually 
employed in digging its own grave, w^hile a fact 
against a fact is like two drops of water trying to iden- 
tify each other, when as a fact they are really one. 
The simplicity of Christianity is not dependent upon 
the complexity of art or literal interpretation, for the 
babe gives its testimony as a spark of fire asserts itself, 
and only from the reciprocity of love from the same 
inspiration by which the babe opens its mouth would 
the child itself be tolerated. Christianity was the birth 
of human freedom that made the distribution of literal 
education possible, but its economy is the contention of 
art to prevent, for the same reason that the pagans and 
Jews contended against Christianity. 



I40 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



AUTHORITY. 



A DUAL authority has the same relation to education 
-^ as Church and State. It confounds the confidence of a 
child in its own parents that it may learn by experience 
to contend against the most brilliant temptations that 
art makes possible. The person who parades his ma- 
terial prosperity as evidence of superior wisdom falls 
by an authority that he is powerless to command. Such 
a person may become flattered by a multitude of fol- 
lowers who have become specifically educated to put 
all their faith in artificial attractions. The child that 
falls by the natural force of gravitation is also provided 
with natural means of protection. The distinction, 
therefore, between Nature and Art is the distinction be- 
tween God's authority and that derived from the art of 
man. Authority that seeks the protection of art betrays 
its superficial weakness in comparison to the Supreme 
authority that even art itself is compelled to obey. 
Civil authority has never reached a point beyond the 
possibility of so crippling the mental organs of a child 
that it might humbly serve a specific end, either a good 
or bad government as the case may be. If natural man 
is prone to evil by reason of his privilege to develop 
the instrumentality of art, the effort to so disguise the 
relation of Art to Nature is proof of evil intentions. No 
educated man could be such or maintain even the label 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I4I 

of scholarship, who would teach that the error of Na- 
ture was corrected by the virtue of Art. Yet the 
most civilized governments of the present day are but 
modified forms of the heathen who endeavored to pro- 
tect their authority by the power of art. 

The cardinal principle of education derives its auth- 
ority from the same source from which art is derived; 
it would reasonably follow that art and nature could 
be blended together for a united purpose. That it is a 
theoretical delusion is no less such by reason of the 
forcefulness of a system of education that can control 
the mental organs of a child that it may grow up ut- 
terly blind to the fact of which God designed it to be. 
For example : If an instrument of art in the hand of 
another can break the legs of a child, the fact that it 
has legs is the proof of what the legs are for. It 
needs no theory of systematic education to convince a 
parent that the child is inspired by an authority that 
the parent also is compelled to obey, or submit to the 
consequences of which the child also is a party. A 
spark is no less fire because it is extinguished in seek- 
ing combustible material to prove its ability to create 
a flame. A theory as an authority to establish a fact 
ceases to be a theory the moment the fact is estab- 
lished. 

When it is recognized that the great multitude of 
humanity are either voluntary followers of a mere 
theory or compelled to follow state authority, itself 
resting upon a theory, the feeble effort of a child un- 
armed by the instrumentality of letters or art of any 
character, the relation of education either mental or 
physical makes its predecessors responsible in the 
sight of God for employing the art of education to 



142 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

hide from the child its clear title to a direct communion 
with its Creator. The Bible needs no interpretation 
to discover its source of authority. Scholars can dis- 
pute with each other and dissect the Book from a the- 
oretic standpoint, but the authority of the Book should 
engage their attention before they are compelled to flee 
in like manner as all their predecessors who have 
dared to assail the authority of the Bible. It is positive 
authority from even a theoretic standpoint, in compari- 
son to the negative authority of theory, negative, in 
the sense that art is but the effort of man to imitate 
Nature making the authority of man, protected even 
by the canon of theolog}-, subordinate to the authority 
from which a child is inspired to open its mouth. 

Because the feeble understanding of a child can be 
imposed upon is no greater misfortune than the ne- 
cessity of a "fall" or experience before knowledge is 
possible. The natural fall is in proportion to the feeble 
character of the child, but the greater fall that the at- 
tractions of artificial education introduces required 
moral courage to resist. 

Christ did not write, "I speak with authority," but 
His authority being recognized by the man, whoever 
he was that did write it, makes it clear that authority 
is not invested in man merely from the artificial ability 
to write it in the third person. Does not the babe 
speak with authority when its first effort is the decla- 
ration, "I am"? If a sub-authority can be established 
by means of artificial education which can be so at- 
tractive as to exhaust the ingenuity of a figurative 
devil it is further evidence of a "fall" that the neces- 
sity of acknowledging the difference between Supreme 
Authority that is enforced, and the sub-authority set 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I43 

up by the artificial ability of man to maintain domi- 
nant interests ; practically selfishness, the most suc- 
cessful pitfall that the devil can control. A person can 
be sincere or apparently so at least in mistaking sub- 
authority for the Supreme. Particularly when it is 
possible to so exploit the mental organs of a child as 
to control it by outside influence and that influence is 
education of whatever form it may be presented. A 
pitfall even is education, and to first win the confidence 
or attention of a person, in strict regard for the teach- 
ing of psychology, is to persuade such person to escape 
one pitfall by jumping into another of greater magni- 
tude. Is it strange that the credulous can be mis- 
guided when the teacher disputes with his peer over 
the relation of Supreme Authority to the sub-author- 
ity of man. It is so simple that the complex system of 
education is too elaborate to focus it. For that rea- 
son sub-authority can maintain a fog so dense that the 
simple light bestowed upon a babe at birth can be ob- 
scured if not utterly extinguished. It would be the 
height of folly to undertake to tell another what he 
knows to be a fact, for knowledge of the Supreme or- 
der is so well known that men plunge into suicide 
rather than meet the consequences of what they know 
to be a fact. 

When it is recognized that a babe knows more than 
all the books that were ever written, education could 
become so simple that the fog of contention would 
disappear like a cloud that obscures the sun. It does 
not depend upon prophecy so much as it does upon 
personal honesty. The system of education is yet to 
be instituted that will recognize a simple fact without 
seeking to hide it in complex surroundings. The 



144 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

theoretical pretence of "uplifting" fallen humanity 
from a condition of natural purity, puts the "uplifted" 
to shame in comparison. Not that knowledge, as 
such, has a degrading influence but instead it is the 
unwillingness to recognize the Supreme authority as 
the source of knowledge. The word "uplifting" sug- 
gests a vainglorious performance, for the contempt of 
authority is embraced in the pretence of lifting an- 
other up by first crushing the will to make assistance 
necessary. 

Authority is the first consideration before an act 
effecting another could be reasonably performed. 
Personality is too distinctly a reality to overlook the 
fact that authority of action is always a sacred in- 
spiration. It is neither a doctrine or theory, but a 
fact of the inner man that no person can deny without 
admitting it to be a fact in the very act of denial. The 
most abject slave could not be deprived of his personal 
title to his inner authority. It was a weakness of per- 
sonal effort that made it possible to enslave a person 
of corresponding image, but the authority is the mat- 
ter in hand, and while it is commendable to assist an- 
other, such self-assertion calls for the exhibition of 
authority. If the act meets resistance by a corres- 
ponding authority existing in the person of another, 
a very nice point of distinction must be settled before 
the enforcement of authority can be equitably resorted 
to. "In the beginning God created the heavens and 
the earth." When the beginning was or how the cre- 
ation occurred, or whether creation is finished, has 
nothing to do with the verified fact revealed to every 
human being at birth. That the sentence itself is the 
inspired Word of God is true, for no man could have 



! 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I45 

written it without being inspired, and no man could 
have read it without being inspired also. Is every 
person at birth inspired? Is every birth a "begin- 
ning?" It is certainly a beginning of immediate Ac- 
tion. This problem must be solved by the recipient 
and live, or be rejected and die. This feature is im- 
portant for educators to study who profess to be sin- 
cere in "lifting" the people up from their grief and 
sorrow at being born so late, since all the command- 
ing authority artificially has been fully exploited by 
those who were favored with a previous beginning. 

Posterity in debt to its predecessors for knowledge 
is what artificial education is dependent upon. A spe- 
cial Providence may be appealed to by a single indi- 
vidual who can also usurp authority, but to enforce 
his own fiat he must be supported by followers, or 
his declaration would be treated with scorn or deri- 
sion. The very principle of education would have to 
be set aside if it was a fact that the prerogatives of the 
past were the source of knowledge. A subterfuge in 
words will not efifect the principle of education. On 
general principles it does not effect knowledge to quib- 
ble over the source from which it is derived, but to 
maintain a consistency of authority over the educa- 
tion of a child which gives positive evidence of inspi- 
ration and knowledge both, is to elevate the parent 
and the state above the authority of the Almighty. 
Theories, philosophy, or science cannot contend 
against a personal presence. It therefore reveals a 
motive to whoever cares to study the situation. To 
assert an anxiety to discover the truth and then play 
with words to hide the discovery from a fellow man 
would be self-conviction requiring no comment at all. 



146 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

A prerogative is not a very firm foundation for author- 
ity to rest upon. 

What is necessary to discover first is the source of 
knowledge before the economy of education should 
be studied at all. 

Socrates recognized it, Christ taught it afcording to 
written records which are authenticated by every 
babe that is born. 

This feature of positive authority is more remark- 
able for its absence in standard text books than for its 
presence. It implies either ignorance or design. It 
is a personal privilege to take either position, for a 
person cannot be ignorant of an act necessary to be 
designing. Concrete ignorance can only be known to 
exist after a little abstract light is thrown upon it. 
That is, a light is necessary to reveal what darkness 
seeks to hide. The confidence of a child is the innate 
conception of love. Of all sentiments that any word 
was ever made to express, that of love is first and su- 
preme. The importance of treating this sentiment as 
the fundamental principle of education, is necessary 
to expose the glaring pretence derived from artificial 
education to make the sub-authority of art equal to 
the absolute authority of nature. Because a child or 
an adult can be deceived by this darkness, the very 
darkness relieves such persons from the responsibility 
of their actions. It is idle to make rules of art that 
depended upon light before such rules could be made 
to condemn the innocence of darkness. To assert 
that ignorance is to blame for its darkness, is equiva- 
lent to asserting that a child is to blame for being 
born. The skill of etymology will never atone for 
the dissimulation that education makes possible. We 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I47 

have education and its abstract as well as authority 
and its abstract. No person with light enough to hide 
the principle of authority in its concrete form, can 
escape a responsibility for modern education striving 
to crush the innocence of childhood in teaching a de- 
pendence upon its predecessors for knowledge. Utter 
darkness only could justify an act of depriving pos- 
terity of an equal oportunity of its predecessors. 

It is not to the point at all, that theories are "set- 
tled" when the literate exclusively are the only party 
to the settlement. The great silent multitude are en- 
dowed with mental faculties from which thoughts 
are produced in utter absence of logic or philosophy. 
Hence, because sub-authority can be literally main- 
tained, can it be morally or religiously maintained 
against its own source — the authority of God — by 
teaching children that knowledge is derived from their 
predecessors to cripple their understanding with 
which they were inspired at birth? 



148 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

RESPONSIBILITY. 

n^HE limit of art is to correct the errors of art, other- 
''• wise the greed of man would destroy every living 
thing on the face of the earth. The truth existed be- 
fore letters, or theology and science in searching prin- 
ciples depending upon letters, could never have been 
born. Because art made a hammer and also a letter 
as a mark of distinction between the animal and the 
human, their use became a personal privilege in- 
volving personal responsibility. The hammer can 
crush the head of a babe, and the letter, a no less frac- 
tious tool, could crush the mental organs. Society 
can clamor for more power to rule the destinies of hu- 
manity yet responsibility for the use of art is as in- 
dividual and personal as birth. Society is only a 
collection of personal responsibilities, and whatever 
act one performs with a view of making another re- 
sponsible for it, is the most fruitful source of evil that 
humanity has to contend with. 

Since letters were first invented writers have used 
them to record their disputes, which previously de- 
pended upon oral tradition, with a strong probability 
that only a few were preserved, regardless of all the 
writings that purport to preserve them. Since sun- 
light first revealed itself to man he has tried to make 
others responsible and obedient both. It was the 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I49 

fundamental principle of the task-master to rule by 
fear, and also the rule of the parent who was trained 
or broke like a horse to service. Because a parent 
can be forced to forsake his natural love for his off- 
spring by reason of the sense of fear, it is no more 
strange than the dependence of a babe upon a fall as 
the only known method by which knowledge is re- 
vealed to it. 

Words like all instruments are obedient to the will 
of man — the intermediate between commerce and 
structure. Because man has the natural ability to 
make a sign to represent his thought he cannot es- 
cape the responsibility of such an act. Also because 
that ability enables him to deprive another of a like 
privilege, the primitive fact is inflexible. . To deter- 
mine a responsibility for sin, evil, and oppression, the 
category of instruments becomes quickly exhausted, 
yet the sin and oppression remain as undisturbed as 
ever. The relation of a "fall" to words as the means 
of obtaining knowledge would throw light upon re- 
sponsibility in exact proportion to the willingness to 
recognize the common fellowship of humanity. 
Again, to use words to formulate objections to such 
fellowship, myriads of them could be found, such as 
descend from predeccessors and as many more could 
be coined from the fruitfulness of the human brain. 

This feature makes the luster of Christianity so 
obscure that babes only are in perfect communion 
with its light. It is so positive that nothing has ever 
permanently stood between that Light and the in- 
stitution of personality that God so freely bestows 
upon the earth. It is not a vague assertion, but the 
petition of the babe prior to the introduction of the 
inventions of its predecessors. 



150 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

This fog between life and knowledge is acquired 
from external influences. The child submits in pro- 
portion to its confidence in whoever can win it; but 
confidence is a social feature of life distinct from re- 
sponsibility. It is knowledge by deputation that ob- 
scures like a fog the real source of knowledge. The 
most learned man simply betrays how little he knows 
when he attempts to prove an origin of knowledge 
in any sense effects the individual responsibility for 
every act of the will. That this is a well-known fact 
attested by written records makes a child more de- 
pendent upon the honesty of its predecessors, than 
for its natural acquirements of knowledge. 

The child being early taught obedience to its sur- 
roundings by systems of ancient and modern edu- 
cation, makes the system responsible rather than the 
child. That this system is anti-christian no better 
proof exists than the Bible itself. Its very existence 
ing to be authorized to transmit the teaching of the 
ing to be authorized to transit the teaching of the 
Bible to posterity is assuming a responsibility that 
the Bible severely rebukes. The meager proof that 
a single individual can bring for or against the Bible 
is a mere straw to the universe. A sincere student 
will recognize the truth rather than search for meth- 
ods to conserve his personal convictions. A respon- 
sibility for the welfare of others is too sacred a duty 
to permit of the least evasion to conserve an abstract 
principle. The point is not so much whether know- 
ledge is transmitted by deputation as it is to determine 
the source of knowledge, or whether it is an article 
of commerce. The fact that a child is born a respon- 
sible being is sufficient authority to relieve the child 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I5I 

from any responsibility for events of which its pre- 
decessors are familiar. When a child has to contend 
with knowledge by deputation, and also knowledge 
by conception, it can be transformed into a fiend by 
a deputy of knowledge except for the protecting love 
of its parents. 

A person striving to protect an established insti- 
tution will devote himself to the end in view. His 
very orthodoxy, however, obscures his ideal concep- 
tions from the view of others who are only attracted 
by the external effort. The diamond has a dull worth- 
less surrounding that merely hides the inner luster. 
It therefore constitutes a condition of twofold similar 
to a human being. Orthodoxy, conservatism, des- 
potic rules, and knowledge by deputy, form the sur- 
rounding of the inner luster that every human being 
possesses or he would be no object of consideration 
to his fellow man. Education, even as a concrete or 
abstract, would have no scope of commerce except 
for the external obstruction between two human souls. 
The situation is not new for it is revealed to babes, 
or our predecessors would not have had the necessary 
ability to formulate a system of education purporting 
to lead forth, while in practice it seeks to maintain 
the deputy as a perpetual mediator, thus denying the 
original source by which education was possible. 

To be a philosopher of any remarkable note one 
must first prove all his predecessors to have been 
mistaken. He proves even more for he condemns him- 
self or denies the march of progress. Surely a man 
must have some base for the discovery of what he 
might be pleased to call "a. new discovery." Mere 
terms are obsolete in view of the exposures of man's 



152 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

mistakes, yet to discover a principle is to admit that 
it previously existed. It may be a principle of great 
benefit to relieve grief stricken humanity, but who is 
responsible for the privilege of experimenting with 
children to prove a discovery to be good or evil as 
the case might be? Because children can be vic- 
timized by a system of education the children, at 
least, are as free from responsibility as the ancient 
slave compelled to serve a master. 

It does not depend upon new discovery to know 
that knowledge and power are entailed with responsi- 
bility in proportion to the degree of knowledge the 
person might be endowed with. It could be well said 
that to shirk a responsibility, it were better not to 
have been born. Man can use his acquired knowledge 
to obtain a living and escape what is termed drudgery. 
He may be skilled in methods of commanding the 
service of others, which at best, in the absence of the 
servant being a party to the contract, is modified slav- 
ery. Responsibility, however, is an individual prob- 
lem that cannot be detached from the will or forced 
upon the will of another. Institutions of learning 
may be multiplied and authority be exploited, but re- 
sponsibility will continue to be embraced within the 
action of the will. To the extent the will is broken 
or crushed to a condition of inaction, responsibility 
ceases or the law of God would be subordinate to that 
of man. The clinging to the prerogatives of pagan 
literature and exploiting its beauty to preserve the 
caste system that the writers so brilliantly proclaimed 
confounds the understanding and gives support to the 
present effort to teach the necessity of a deputy to 
obtain knowledge. It would make Christianity a mere 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 1 53 

supplement to paganism. It presents a situation of 
clinging to paganism for social advantages and ac- 
cepting Christianity by reason of the saving grace of 
Christ. 

Modern education is an abstract principle, con- 
trolled by the political effort of the entire world, is 
where the responsibility is ; it is a connivance with 
the devil to obscure the simplicity of Christianity. 
Credulity can be imposed upon by education, and 
however paradoxical it may seem it is the only meth- 
od by which a credulous person can be set free and 
brought to realize his natural right to his own con- 
ception. Education, however, as a concrete principle 
to its abstract is as life to death. Every device known 
or acquired at any price, has been searched for to ob- 
tain and hold political supremacy over the innocent 
multitudes. 

The Pharisaic method in modern education is the 
political fog that surrounds religion and social order 
even. It holds the fallen as responsible and refuses 
assistance until the victim purchases release by ad- 
mitting external authority. It appears generous by 
the brilliant fog that surrounds the operation, but in 
a great majority of cases that only a few can attest, 
that the fallen had better remain such than accept the 
assistance that modern education attracts, that ulti- 
mately leads to suffering of greater dimensions. That 
falls and temptations are the first principles of know- 
ledge does not fasten a responsibility upon the fallen, 
but in the natural order of things responsibility is just 
as impossible to escape as knowledge. Thus to mis- 
lead another is a fall to both leader and led, with re- 
sponsibility for the act resting upon preceding know- 
ledsfe. 



154 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

The vicarious attitude of predecessors is no less 
a fact than the birth of knowledge which is essentially 
the prime feature of birth itself. But of what value 
is knowledge derived from vicarious assumption if the 
original source of knowledge could be continually 
defied by an agent who usurps an authority of equal- 
ity with a common Creator, and denies a child its 
clear title to an advent upon earth, as clear as that of 
his own? The fact that Webster's dictionary cannot 
define words to successfully hide the imposition of 
educators in taking advantage of innocent children ; it 
throws the responsibility for the outrage upon who- 
ever knows enough to deny it. No one need to go to 
the dictionary to learn that created wisdom could 
never become so great as to dictate its own creation. 
If special messengers are vicariously appointed to 
protect the interest of abstract society the limit of 
God's trust in his own creation would appear to be 
nearly reached, and original principles, only, would 
restore society. A mere literal assertion has no more 
effect upon the truth than the effort of a man to com- 
mand a babe to breathe. This original communion of 
the babe with God can be literally disputed, and the 
fears of parents can be appealed to, but it remains to 
be proved whether man in his vicarious attitude ever 
earns the title by any of his accomplishments. Be- 
tween life and death the communion of spirit is in- 
violate. No literal acquirements can deprive a person 
of what God reserves a strict command over. The 
point of command between direct and indirect com- 
munion would be reasonable in view of knowledge 
which is undisputable in the sense that it is a self re- 
vealing power. The anomaly of knowing more than 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 1 55 

knowledge reveals would be equivalent to a know- 
ledge of existence prior to birth. It suggests the ac- 
tual difference between knowledge by intuition, which 
is as direct as birth, and knowledge by tuition from 
one's predecessors, which is indirect. It does not in 
the least disturb the intrinsic character of knowledge, 
which one's predecessors were equally as dependent 
upon as their birth. 

The responsibility for the present social misery rests 
with those who continue to maintain a system of tu- 
ition to disguise the Christian system of education, 
which is natural and intuitive, while tuition depends 
upon art, and the prerogative of heathenism. It will 
continue just as long as commerce and politics can 
control the situation by frightening the individual into 
a state of submission. 



CHAPTER XX. 



COMPULSION. 



THE fact that a babe could be compelled to close its 
mouth by human agency, while the power to open it 
is impossible ; it teaches more psychology than all the 
institutions of learning ever accomplished. That this 
principle is as common to animals as to humanity is 
no reason why predecessors should continue to op- 
press whatever is too weak to offer a resistance to the 
command of the strong. The principle is as old as 
history, for which the martyrdom of Socrates bears 



156 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

witness. Also what is reason to humanity as a whole 
will not hide the obligation of the adult individual 
to act with as much inner sense as the babe or calf. 
Because commerce, politics, and tyranny are the cre- 
dentials of predatory predecessors, it is no reason that 
individual courage should be compelled by mere col- 
lective force to choose between martyrdom or sub- 
mission. The child will show a keener sense of wis- 
dom in detecting an act of inconsistency in parent or 
teacher than the average psychologist, for the reason 
that the child is naturally truthful until it is taught 
diplomacy by compulsion when the inner sense is 
crushed, and example will be followed regardless of 
the science of etymology in teaching precepts. 

That collective bodies can compel obedience by either 
police force, its Goliath parade is powerless to com- 
mand the inner sense of a single individual acting 
within itself. The limit of compulsion, therefore, is 
confined to fright, or a complete destruction of the 
clear title that the child receives from its Creator. 
That is, by philosophic reasoning the only justifica- 
tion for predecessors to assume compulsory authori- 
ty would be to counteract whatever was natural. 
This feature of compulsion is theoretic to the extent 
of involving the entire political history of the world. 
Enough has been written upon the subject to supply 
a volume to every person on the earth, yet the petition 
of the child is as unheeded as the primitive fall, which 
no age has been willing to acknowledge as a universal 
necessity, — a necessity so obvious that no person can 
deny it without casting an irreverent reproach upon 
his own conscious existence. 

The greed of man is just as indififerent to the wel- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 1 57 

fare of children as it ever was. Progress and civiliza- 
tion are due to the universal order of Nature, and there 
is no reason other than political to apply two words 
to represent one idea of precisely the same signifi- 
cance. Even if it could not be proved that the words 
"Nature" and "God" represent one idea, it is equally 
true that it was never proved that they represent two 
ideas. This important condition of things should be 
made clear before any more children are offered a sac- 
rifice to commerce and polity. It is due to the personnel 
of religious and secular teachers that the obstructive 
character of dominant interest are not permitted to de- 
stroy themselves. The effort to compel Nature to even 
assist in turning the wheels of progress backward, 
always results in humiliation and defeat for those who 
persist in the effort. It is the semi-educated that parade 
their pretensions with a sound of trumpet in imitation of 
ancient vandals, that throw discredit upon real scholar- 
ship, for the multitude can be led temporarily by noise 
and external parade. Commercial greed and political or- 
ganizations are really in control of the present edu- 
cational system. 

A nation that is obliged to resort to slavery or com- 
pulsion to protect the life of the state is a self-con- 
viction of its own corruption. It is parallel to parents 
being obliged to compel obedience from their children. 
If the parent is so influenced by political education as 
to disregard the natural Teacher, prompted by his 
own experience the principle of compulsion can be 
cultivated as well as any other wickedness until it 
rarely fails to destroy the child ; notwithstanding all 
theories to the contrary. The order of Nature is too 
universally perfect to permit of a child being com- 



158 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

pelled to love its parents, when the very sense of love 
was directly revealed to both, as a protection against 
the possibility of hating each other by reason of 
compulsion. Compulsion is only another word for 
slavery and its product — war. When a government 
in like manner to a parent has to compel its so-called 
citizens to protect the government, it is pretty con- 
clusive that the fault is with the government, for a 
man is never so gross but he will make an effort, how- 
ever feeble, to protect himself. Hence if a child needs 
compulsory education to respect his government, it 
is analogous to a parent compelling a child to hate 
everything by trying to teach it love, since it was born 
with that sense, which it will vigorously defend until 
its physical condition and will is broken to a final fin- 
ish. 

Human duty against greed has been discussed to 
a tiresome limit, simply because feeble understanding 
can be compelled to submit to the dictate of greed, 
but the Higher Law has never failed to punish the 
greedy and when the children are sacrificed to satisfy 
such greed it would appear that the weak was punished 
more severely for their minor evils than the strong 
were for evils of greater magnitude. It is a mere 
fancy, however, for one has only to observe the sui- 
cides, divorces, and inmates of crowded asylums, that 
aborigines and animals were never compelled to suf- 
fer. The vast amount of literature that is written to 
prove that weak intellect and the defenceless ignorant 
are responsible for the social debauchery of persons 
who were educated with the hard-earned money of 
their parents who were driven to despair, it should at 
least cause honest people to investigate the education 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I59 

direct from God as free as air and water to wild animals. 
In the early stages of literal education it was just as 
much a polity to prevent the masses from learning 
the power of knowledge as it is now to compel them 
to be educated. The fact that polity controls the 
present situation should open the eyes of a moder- 
ate thinker, for a neglect of duty will destroy a faculty 
of the brain as much so as the disuse of a limb. Even 
specific education will accomplish the same trick after 
the subject is controlled by the object. It accounts 
for a great many mysterious effects when the cause 
is hidden regardless of expense. The principal cause 
is as ancient as Greek sophistry, which is to teach that 
a subject is dependent upon an outer object. This 
can be literally proved when words, like children, can 
be compelled to serve a political end. It is neverthe- 
less just as false as what present text books are, 
which are selected by political authority to teach pos- 
terity an obligation to their predecessors, for the ed- 
ucation that every human being is naturally ambitious 
to acquire. It is not all, for words bear witness 
against themselves. 

The pagans to whom text books' compilers claim to 
be indebted, were remarkably skilled in teaching 
magic. History may be mere fiction but it bears wit- 
ness against itself like literal words. Words being 
so extremely elastic and so susceptible of convenient 
definitions that it required skill commensurate with 
the ambiguity of words to follow even a brief dis- 
course. It is of little account at present whether a 
discourse is dry or dense for the present system of 
compulsory education is more devoted to teaching the 
strict letter of obedience to those who make a business 



l6o THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

of doing the thinking for others, — practically a com- 
plete surrender of the subject to the object. It is 
extremely difficult however, for theory to keep the 
truth in the rear, for science is a vigorous opponent, 
besides it will not yield to second-hand thoughts. It 
is, therefore, important to know that immediate knowl- 
edge and mediate knowledge are not on good terms 
with each other. It really means direct knowledge in 
dispute with the indirect. This has no meaning to 
those who have forgotten how to think their own 
thoughts or distinguish the difference between the 
thoughts of an object rehabilitated in the subject, who 
was born with a clear title to immediate thoughts. It 
makes a great difference to whoever has thoughts to 
sell, while the subject is just as well satisfied, in fact 
such a subject who cannot see the difference betrays 
a fact that his will has become thoroughly broken. 

The real proof of immediate knowledge is experi- 
ence, which can be as immediately disputed in rela- 
tive words alleged by polity. What is experience, 
however, to a subject is only theory to its object, and 
the objection of a psychologist and a metaphysician 
to the ground principles of experience is an extremely 
narrow form of polity. Nature forbids what theory 
tries to prove, that man can apotheosize himself by 
his own fiat, or what would be the same thing, that his 
credentials of authority, and privilege to command 
and compel an obedience was derived from his pre- 
decessors. It is at this point that polity suggests 
ways and means to manipulate words to convince a 
subject its subordination to its surrounding objects. 
Polity would starve to death if it was other than a 
temporal power, for to prey upon children for com- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. l6l 

mercial profit is parallel to the worst form of piracy. 
Could the child speak in self-defence it would declare 
itself the recipient of a clear title from God before it 
came in contact with the compulsory power of any ob- 
ject. That a person will not accept this proof shows 
distinctly that he sacrifices his birthright to his greed, 
or, to take another view of it, if he was compelled to 
yield his will from the disposition of his predecessors 
he is irresponsible for his acts. 

Compulsion has no jurisdiction over Nature regard- 
less of all its legal tenets ; and as far as literal words 
can prove anything it could be observed that compul- 
sion was limited to obstruction or complete destruc- 
tion for the reason it only has the power to destroy a 
living being, but not the power to prevent the being 
from a natural defence of returning to the jurisdiction 
of God rather than to be compelled to surrender his 
clear title to the source from which it was re- 
ceived. If the protection of polity is of more import- 
ance to society and incidentally the state than moral 
rectitude, to escape such a tyrannical position suicide 
is the only alternative to protect one's own personal- 
ity, would be justifiable. 

Doctors of medicine claim there is always hope with 
life, also spiritual doctors claim it is never too late to 
mend. It would appear therefore, that a broken will 
could be mended, and doubtless it could be, but it must 
be as miraculous as birth itself. This would prove the 
recorded miracles, and also the "new birth," which 
no one could dispute without betraying that his own 
will was broken. What makes the principle of com- 
pulsion possible, people are ever seeking an abstract 
truth, while the truth will not permit itself to be mu- 
tilated. 



1 62 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

To study the economy of education, or, what is still 
better, to practice it, would tend to expose the polity 
of etymology and also that of psychology ; neither of 
which are true sciences, because the former is based 
upon the abstract of natural language, and the latter 
is also a mere supplement to the science of physics, 
having no claim in truth to the "science of mind," that 
is, as between the subject and object, for it is exclu- 
sively the property of the subject, and only compre- 
hended by experience. 

Nature is constantly exemplifying the supreme 
power of activity so regular and universal that every 
effort to analyze its power by finite beings has resulted 
in failure. It is one of the Providential blessings that 
no form of compulsion can obtain a foothold. Man 
having the power of will is punished for a disregard of 
the conditions that the power entails. Therefore who- 
ever compels a person who is not a voluntary party to 
the contract, receives the punishment, if history is a 
reliable witness. The stereotyped objections to natu- 
ral purity of action is due to the science of physics 
which acts in the direction of the least resistance. 
The physical weakness of a child, or any race of hu- 
man beings unable to defend themselves were con- 
sidered the legitimate property of the strongest. Early 
science was studied more in the interest of the mo- 
nopoly of knowledge than with any purpose of social 
reform. Progress was only recognized as a means of 
conquest or defence. The study of science and philo- 
sophy began to reveal the relation of a common hu- 
manity, when mental activity was aroused in like 
manner to the revelation of knowledge to a child by 
coming in contact with outside objects. This was the 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 163 

very stimulus of science and philosophy to settle the 
relation of a subject to its object. Experience had no 
means of defence in comparison to the objective uni- 
verse when the vanity and ostentation, of which man 
seems to be naturally endowed, have never since had 
such an opportunity for display. It was of the same 
order that a child displays when it discovered it could 
walk. The very writings of the ancients are the evi- 
dence that the writers knew more about the truth than 
they were willing that the general public should know. 
It is a serious fact that the natural sense of morality 
has to deal with, just as much at the present time as 
when Greek scholars advocated the destruction of in- 
fants for fear learining as a popular acquirement would 
endanger the stability of the state. Slavery, serfdom, 
and the feudal system, are all embraced in the word 
compulsion, which has no more moral authority than 
the early slave trade. 

It could be hoped that compulsory education is the 
last form of slavery that the greed of man will be able 
to institute. Similar to chattel slavery, however, it will 
continue as long as parents are willing to submit to 
it. The natural force of defence is the empirical fea- 
ture of a subject against the compulsion of its object. 
When parents discover their children are being con- 
signed to divorce courts and bar-rooms they will for- 
sake the evil which is analogous to the primitive fall ; 
the evil will then pass to be engrossed on the pages of 
history. 



164 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



OSTENTATION, 



A N active person must be either ostentatious or empiri- 
cal, for there is no escape other than death, so 
called, but in reality a return of the component parts 
constituting the power of sense existence revealed by 
knowledge — God — from the touch of experience. It is 
not in the power of words to analyze experience, it is 
the communion of God that is strictly empirical. 
Psychology attempts to do it, but it goes no farther 
than empiricism without embracing ostentation — a 
mere parade of words mutilated by the science of 
polity. 

Psychology is a science of theory, and the fact that 
theory is not true until it is proved to be such by ex- 
perience makes psychology an ostentatious parade 
second only to the pretension of the metaphysical. It 
is the liberty of experience to define words even in de- 
fiance of the datum of etymology, or activity would 
cease and posterity would become so passive that ex- 
perience would fail to wake the babe into a condition 
of consciousness. Hence the transitory dictum of 
predecessors is the very pitfall that posterity must 
fall into and recognize the empirical privilege of de- 
fence. The teaching of psychology in public schools 
under the pretence of teaching a child to think betrays 
the real purpose which is to cultivate ostentation until 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 165 

the power of the will becomes sterile. The fallacy of 
pretending to teach a person to think, or to educate the 
sense — the consciousness — can only be accomplished 
by hiding the truth instead of recognizing its activity, 
which needs no assistance, for it is as immutable as 
time and space. Whatever words that are used to 
qualify the truth, are derived from the pagans. They 
were so numerous as to suggest their purpose was to 
transmit a method to posterity, by which the common 
people could be subjected to perpetual slavery. 

It is not enough to declare a purpose of good toward 
the rising generation when concrete principles are 
neglected at the behest of polity, or for the prospect of 
a better salary. It is a very delicate problem for a 
teacher to teach his own conscience not to recognize 
mere shades of meanings to words when they are 
shaded to mislead those who could be better led by a 
more simple form. Public schools and libraries are 
flooded with pagan sentiments in direct opposition to 
Christian literature. They appeal to vanity, pride, os- 
tentation, and expectations of obtaining something for 
nothing; all in the name of morality. They are a wit- 
ness against themselves, but the evidence is a blank to 
the victims of so-called culture, that only appears on 
the surface after imagination is cultivated to transcend 
reality. As some very prominent writers say: "Teach 
the child to love the truth." There is no greater disap- 
pointment in adult life than the discovery that one's 
confidence in childhood was betrayed by ideal fancies. 
It is the pitfall again that one must fall into before the 
real truth can be experienced — sense — knowledge. It 
w^as a heathen fancy that tried by the mere manufac- 
ture of words to transcend the truth and teach that 



l66 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

the imagery of thought was a specific revelation. It 
can be so attractive that victims who escape a prema- 
ture grave become passive and apparently uncon- 
scious of the destruction of their natural faculties. 
Teachers may be broad-minded and empirical in their 
oral teaching, but the confusion of a child when he is 
compelled to decide for himself between the truth as 
taught and his natural faculties to construct imagery 
of thought, leads him into unnecessary pitfalls. What- 
ever is profitable to a business will be slow to yield to 
Christian precepts regardless of the sacrifice of chil- 
dren. 

However poorly a thought may be expressed, the 
etymology of words does not change the empirical vir- 
tue of the thought. One prone to seeing faults in 
others betrays a touch of ostentation, even if it appears 
to the perception that it is for the other's good. It is 
an extremely delicate operation to reprove another di- 
rectly to the person, for there is always a correspond- 
ence of spirit, if not of understanding. A correspond- 
ence of definite signs or words had better be estab- 
lished, for to find fault with another merely reflects 
one's own, regardless of prominence or literal acquire- 
ments. A recognized teacher of any character who is 
confined to precedent or rules of antiquity, would be 
patronizing ostentation, showing a strong attachment 
to the principle, reflecting also upon the Christian prin- 
ciple of empiricism. A teacher that betrays a com- 
manding spirit over children entrusted to his care will 
ingenerate anger and hate. In fact, the attempt to 
cultivate a willingness to submit to the authority of 
another reflects the antiquated difficulties of all na- 
tions of the earth, leading to defence of a more or less 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 167 

violent character. The child has an empirical title as 
well as the teacher; to establish correspondence with 
a child, it requires a reciprocity of equality ; the mere 
pretence of it will not deceive the child, for it knows 
more than it can express, and the teacher that cannot 
learn from a child is not fit to teach anything. 

A teacher in touch with the divine principle of em- 
piricism — the sovereign right of the individual — can 
defy the polity of man which depends for existence 
upon the temporal character of ostentation. The 
proof is experience, against the effort of greed to de- 
fend the prerogative of predecessors which has caused 
all the wars since the 15th century, from the refusal 
of dormant interests to acknowledge the private judg- 
ment of person ; the very essence of Christianity ; also 
the ground upon which the "reformation" was possible 
that Luther was courageous enough to defend. To be 
concise and brief about this situation, — religion and 
education constitute a concrete principle so absolute 
that its abstract can only be maintained by the policy 
of civil governments controlled by greed and domi- 
nant interests. It is commercially profitable in either 
case, whether education is secular or religious, for that 
reason the great mass of people are misinformed by 
the manipulation of words and their numerous defini- 
tions, the word spirit is divided and sub-divided to dis- 
tort philosophical controversy, to prevent the people at 
large from comprehending that they were the real sub- 
ject involved. The skill of the idealist is the most pop- 
ular form to convince the people, of whom some may 
be semi-educated, that experience was transcended by 
a special inspiration, practically disqualifying the word 
knowledge and all words contingent to spirit. 



l68 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

The study of dynamics is parallel to psychology the 
merest pretence of analyzing "moving forces." The 
principle is so abstruse that the laity is not expected 
to comprehend it. In fact the discussion of the prin- 
ciple is more to prevent the laity from comprehending 
the science than to enlighten them. If this is not true 
simpler methods of teaching the relation of force to 
objects in motion could at least be considered, regard- 
less of the source from which the suggestion occurs. 
It is not new, which the martyrs of the past bear si- 
lent witness. The credit is due to the person who rec- 
ognizes the principle rather than the person who calls 
attention to it, for instance : Knowledge is God, the 
eternal force of all things. Christ preached and exem- 
plified that God was spirit, which anyone can deter- 
mine by his own experience, which is Knowledge, 
and the only power by which the Bible can be read 
and not understand it is to admit a sterility of inani- 
mate force, equivalent to a living death, or the motion 
of inanimate matter that can always be traced to the 
spirit motor — God. It would be idle to call attention 
to all the ideal attributes that philosophers, after dis- 
puting each other, pass out of notice by disputing 
themselves, and all about the relation of one to the 
many. 

To transcend experience with a purpose of estab- 
lishing a super-truth is an attempt to dispute God. 
The nearest approach to it is theory and tentative 
analogy. No book was ever written with more care 
than "Butler's Analogy," and he only found the em- 
pirical end to be the end from which he started, that 
is, he could not determine which end was the begin- 
ning, or which was the final end. He demonstrated. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 169 

however, that it was impossible to prove that a theory- 
was false, when it was not alleged to be other than 
speculative. His respect for personality and that of 
private communion with God was conspicuous in his 
own life and all his writings. He acted empirically 
to the extent of his experience, and to separate God's 
government from civil government was not possible 
for him to do, for the reason that civilization had not 
reached an experience to understand, by the necessity 
of comparison to be conscious of anything that the 
spiritual character of the Bible was distinct from its 
material construction. That good conduct often ap- 
peared to be unrewarded, while vicious conduct ap- 
peared to prosper, revealed distinctly that Butler had 
no data other than his own private experience that 
spiritual reward or punishment was distinct from the 
material punishment enacted by a civil government. 

The all-important consideration is to comprehend 
what is knowable without intruding irreverently upon 
the unknowable. To know spirit by social correspond- 
ence is confined to signs and symbols. It is different 
with the unit of society — person — who always super- 
sedes society by being in direct communion with spirit, 
which the babe attests by its absolute defiance of con- 
tradiction. That the inspired writers of the Bible had 
this simple fact in view, the Bible itself bears witness. 
If it were kindly agreed to lay aside the sentiment of 
ostentation, greed, and evil purpose, and recognize 
God as a spirit embracing all force and the absolute 
Motor of all motion, the multitude of function and 
series of faculties including matter at apparent rest 
could be reasonably compared to time and space. It 
would simplify correspondence and social harmony 



170 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

with such who were willing to recognize God as the 
One to the many, without drifting back into ostenta- 
tion. That the attributes of force are so diligently 
studied for the sole purpose of discovering a difference 
between God and force — Motor and movement — 
cause and effect — establishes an indestructible prin- 
ciple of growth and progress. Growth would be im- 
possible in the absence of some Motor to generate the 
necessary movement that growth distinctly reveals. 
Man as the instrument or agent of such motion has 
never been able to manufacture the force that was tem- 
porarily assigned to him in the regular order of Na- 
ture. It is this self-acting principle that philosophers 
and scientists try iio transcend in dispute of each 
others' imagination, for ideal thoughts are just as de- 
pendent upon spirit or force as substance is for space 
to move in. 

A fastidious objector could see in the fact that man 
being only an agent or instrument, proved that man 
had no empirical authority to an individual judgment 
or independent act. It should be observed, however, 
by any person with courage enough to dispute an- 
other, that he betrayed by his own act that neither he 
or his opponent were sub-agents. 

It might appear as a good evidence of ostentation to 
contend against so eminent authority as Herbert 
Spencer, but he gave evidence of empiricism in his 
effort to raise the doctrine of Evolution to the supreme 
height of the truth. To substitute one theory for an- 
other is to encounter the same difficulty, and when 
the principle of empiricism is the object aimed at, 
theories will always remain theories. However emi- 
nent a person may become as a result of learning and 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I7I 

ability, to analyze social conditions synthetically he 
must have forgotten his own childhood in his appar- 
ent willingness to surrender his title to his own one- 
ness to the authority of the many. His remarkable 
zeal to justify a dependence of posterity upon the mul- 
tiplicity of experiences obtained by predecessors 
would appear to account for the entire absence of any 
recognition of a direct relation to God that every liv- 
ing thing or the most minute atom of matter is de- 
pendent upon. If respect to God was of minor import- 
ance to the instituting of a doctrine, depending upon 
speculative philosophy, Spencer's works were a com- 
plete success. 

To appropriate natural growth derived wholly from 
the activity of Nature, and by the mere manipulation 
of terms, seek to prove that mediate knowledge can 
supersede the immediate, is the exact reason why 
philosophers fail in discovering the end they start for. 
That it cultivates the mental faculties prodigiously 
will not compensate for a neglect of the moral sense 
that is born to every person who exhibits knowledge 
enough to sense their own existence. That morality 
is a sense as well as the sense of love, regardless of the 
limitation of sense to five faculties, is entirely an indi- 
vidual privilege to determine. If a child can be fright- 
ened in childhood, it is the natural danger that con- 
scious life entails, but it is not the fault of any living 
being in its defenceless state, that it is destroyed, but 
when a person has intelligence enough to display os- 
tentation, he is responsible for any indifference that 
he parades by proclaiming the dependence of a child 
upon the ostentation of its predecessors. 

Spencer's practical endorsement by inference, if not 



172 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

direct, was plain enough by his evasion of the relation 
of Spirit to force, or what he was pleased to call 
"motion." It would have been more simple to have 
attributed all motion to a Motor, than to study the 
ripples of water or the flutter of leaves and the wav- 
ing of grass, also the surprise of a child that could 
throw a ball into the air and wonder what made it 
come back. All philosophy is remarkable for seeking 
to protect the prerogative of the past in regard to the 
protection of the many against the danger of being 
overpowered by the defenceless babe. In a speculative 
sense it is a mere illusion to classify force or separate 
it from the unknowable spirit or Motor that motion 
itself teaches to any who are willing to study it. The 
eflfort to maintain a quality to force by mere termi- 
nology could be observed by studying such terms as : 
"Intelligent force, brute force, spiritual force, physical 
force, and natural force." These forces are the prin- 
cipal ones that relate to the inheritance derived from 
predecessors to obstruct the evolution of a child rather 
than to render it any real assistance. 

If force possesses varied qualities, upon which 
particle of matter has a particular quality of force the 
privilege to act? Mr. Herbert Spencer in his own 
words says : "Matter is indestructible, contrary to the 
illusion of the ancient Greeks, who held that matter 
could be annihilated." Shakespeare is quoted as using 
terms signifying his conviction that matter could 
cease to be. The point is, matter being established 
and motion the predicate of matter being admitted by 
Spencer, what does man purpose to accomplish by set- 
ting up an ideal establishment against one that he can- 
not first annihilate? The Greeks showed less ostentation, 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 1 73 

for they would first annihilate matter to prove their 
power to be equal to God. With motion and matter 
conceded as immutable the Motor — God — and man the 
instrument or agent (not a sub-agent) surely there is 
no room in space for a man to construct a scheme of 
evolution, even if he possessed a special quantity of in- 
telligence capable of signifying an ideal conception of 
such a scheme. The quality of matter and motion 
would as reasonably exist in the original as to contend 
that predatory man has improved it, taking his own 
records that he leaves behind him for proof. 

The perfection of matter and motion being estab- 
lished, whether man is willing or not to recognize it, 
it only remains to admit it gracefully and avoid if pos- 
sible, cultivating a fastidious attitude that is limited 
to a very small circle of vision. Besides, one may dili- 
gently try to avoid ostentation, but it will crop out on 
the surface to keep one's courage in active service, not 
unlike the child who cannot be taught to walk even, 
except for its intuition of perseverance to overcome the 
natural necessity of falling, or a contact with some ob- 
ject to teach that the faculty of consciousness was 
within. The fastidious objector could insist that the 
object encountered by the child was its predecessors 
in accumulated experiences, which justified the object 
in claiming precedent over the subject by teaching it 
fear and humilitating obedience that would be liable 
to precipitate a continuity of falls beyond the intuitive 
strength of the child to overcome, when the fall would 
become chronic with the child until it conquered its 
perseverance and the will would be broken. 

There is plenty of subject matter to teach a child in 
the present state of dominant society without intrud- 



174 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

ing upon the direct intuitions of the child that repre- 
sents the establishment of matter and its predicate. 
Call it whatever name a fastidious critic may choose, 
the fact cannot be successfully overcome, that a child 
is a perfect being in comparison to its predecessors. 
It certainly has no appearance of evil in comparison, 
that he is forced to bear. The complacent follower 
observe in its predecessors. It is therefore very unjust 
toward the child to formulate an ideal theory that it is 
dependent upon its environments. It must mean that 
the child is dependent for its wickedness, while society 
is being slowly improved by the influence of the child. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



INFINITE FORCE. 



11 TORAL duty is so dependent upon what constitutes 
^^^ perfect force that man no sooner comprehends it than 
he seeks by its aid to obstruct or command his entire 
surroundings. To concede the intrinsic virtue of force 
is no more than man will be compelled to submit to 
whether he is willing to or not. It is therefore more 
in the interest of the chronic grumbler who can only 
see that his contemporaries are to blame for all ills 
that it will by the force of circumstances be obliged to 
escapes all the little anxieties about what moves a leaf 
or what conveys the song of a bird to his organ of 
hearinjs:. He would advise all his friends to observe 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I75 

how happy he was by simply enjoying his surround- 
ings that other people acted so foolish about. 

But when ambitious leaders and dominant political 
interests become in a state of contention, the item of 
force is practically forced upon the indifferent fossil 
equivalent to stirring a protoplasm of his brain that 
had never been shocked into activity by any previous 
fall. To anticipate the activity of Spirit would be as 
absurd as seeing without something to see. The ideal- 
ist, however, would declare that he could see the image 
of objects that were not externally presented to view. 
If he could describe the image it would be an admis- 
sion that he had previously perceived the object either 
in part or a whole, contributing a material structure. 
If it cannot be proved that force is the Motor of all mo- 
tion, whether it be chemical, mechanical, or attractive, 
its homogeneous character is the feature to be consid- 
ered. It would be too tedious to examine every minute 
object in motion in a cotton factory, including an 
annex for manufacturing a variety of metal goods re- 
quiring intricate machinery, for the purpose of analyz- 
ing the homogeneity of force; a more economical 
method would be to trace the series of motion as a 
whole to a common motor which is the power of heat 
to generate motion in correspondence with the tem- 
perature. The all-important fact is that force is an 
unknown principle, but none the less true because it is 
embraced in the unknown. The persistent continuity 
of force that constitutes the predicate of all matter in 
motion will not permit the use of such a meaningless 
term of expression as "live matter," yet this is what 
philosophers and scientists insist upon, while they pro- 
claim a purpose of finding the truth. 



176 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

If it is more important to protect dominant interest, 
always conservative and rebellious against any contra- 
diction to the prerogatives of antiquity and settled con- 
victions in anything relating to the one and the many, 
.the truth will be passed by in the interest of greed. If 
force and matter had been recognized as the synthetic 
truth by Spencer, he would not have been obliged to 
analyze mysteries (or try to) by mistaking motion for 
force and convey the inference that force and truth 
could only be obtained from those who were learned 
in science ; for to admit that force is Spirit would be 
equivalent to cultivated society surrendering to the 
mercy of mobocracy. Again, if the truth cannot be 
trusted, it would be parallel to a conviction that God 
could not be trusted until all phenomena were revealed 
to man. 

If the truth cannot be proved to be false, by modern 
learning, it would be more reasonable to trust the old 
truth, that God has continued to reveal up to the pres- 
ent time, of which fact the present bears witness. 
There is no immediate danger from present appear- 
ances that the pleasure of expectation will be destroyed 
by reason of nothing to expect. Prophets are more 
willing to declare their foreknowledge of events in 
minute details after the event occurs than before. Also 
if expectations could be verified by science and analogy, 
no force or Spirit or faith would be of any use, when 
experience could be demanded or rejected according to 
one's personal desires. 

Supposing evolution to be true, which is as self-evi- 
dent as the continuity of natural activity, the pitfalls 
that are being constantly dug for posterity to fall into, 
would, if they could be persuaded to fall into them, lift 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. : 1/7 

the veil of pretended virtue, but the activity of Nature 
is too persistent and regular to be overpowered by the 
privilege of organizing to dictate a division of labor in 
accord with a pretension that more is due to so-called 
"mental force," than what is also termed "physical 
force" by the fiat of man, who is ever seeking his own 
interest in whatever direction it is the least resisted. 

People who are trained to believe that truth is re- 
vealed to them indirectly, would naturally cling to 
their belief and satisfy their material desires as the 
principal end in view, but however much men try to 
prove to the contrary, truth is force ; and to prove any 
difference between God — Nature — Force — and an in- 
telligent consciousness of existence, is what man has 
never succeeded in proving. This being admitted specu- 
latively even, it leads to a conclusion that quantity is 
not quality. The science of terminology can be so 
skillfully treated that a thought can be established in 
another person in proportion to different definitions 
given to words. A correspondence of thought between 
two persons is both simple and difficult, by the mere 
use of words to convey ideas. The most skillful use 
of policy is to disguise its presence either in talking or 
writing; for that reason individual organs were impar- 
tially bestowed upon every active being to protect 
them against the policy of their surroundings, includ- 
ing the entire accumulated learning of predecessors. 
It is with no purpose to attempt to criticise the great 
mass of recorded learning, but to call attention to the 
organism of individual creatures of every description 
which are provided with some means of defence, and 
to capture such creatures the best policy would be to 
disarm them. Terminology is purposely arranged in 



178 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

connection with etymology to destroy the natural 
thinking functions of a person and institute the 
thoughts of others. That the brain was so organized 
to be a receiver and transmitter both, it would prove 
there was no moral authority for teaching that indi- 
rect thoughts were superior to such as are never led 
direct. In fact, tuition can only be superior to intuition 
until the natural is voluntarily replaced by the artificial 
— the real policy of terminology. Before it could be ac- 
cepted that there is no varied quality to force, regard- 
less of its variety of applications, one would have to re- 
call the thoughts of their own childhood, and study the 
action of an infant before it becomes corrupted with sur- 
rounding objects. It would be a personal privilege to 
exercise "private judgment," the principal issue between 
nations and the great number of organizations forming 
the very purpose of collective groups, either aggressive 
or defensive. All the military and naval forces of the 
earth could not deprive a person of the privilege of pri- 
vate judgment; yet nations have declared war against 
each other because one or the other would not admit the 
clear title revealed to every babe that is born. Be- 
cause a person will not admit it, is no reason that it is 
not true. 

It would not be necessary to study evolution if 
natural facts were accepted, for evolution is a natural 
fact that will not be set aside by any ideal structure 
that the variety of adult man build upon a foundation 
of theory. Henry Drummond, F. R. S. E. ; F. G. S., 
admitted that it had been distinctly proved that mat- 
ter was dead ; after admitting this, however, he was 
riot so willing to admit that Spirit was void of sub- 
stance which he was obliged to hold, in order to pro- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 1/9 

tect his evolution convictions. Without discussing 
this matter in detail, it is only necessary to show how 
difficult it is to maintain a pet theory wthout disputing 
its most important feature, for if matter of itself was 
not spiritualized, how could life be materialized suffi- 
ciently to be evolved or extended to a condition of 
correspondents? Correspondence must mean a unity 
of two equal parts or it has no meaning at all. 

Because force and matter are synthetic according to 
individual experience, it is irreverent to use this force 
in an effort to transcend oneself. Is it not enough that 
this force is self-revealing without trying to cultivate 
a degree of superiority for the sole purpose of treating 
another in one's own image as an inferior? No claim 
is made here that such is the fact, but there is some 
reason why Spirit, force, and natural activity are spe- 
cialized in accord with the different qualities of matter, 
of which Spirit and Force are necessary contingents. 
The point is, God is not both good and evil. He is 
designated as Spirit because spirit is an invisible force, 
which is just as much the privilege of one to affirm as 
another to deny. 

It is not a doctrine, or new religion, but an old truth, 
that even theories depend upon, however hard the 
devoted idealist works to find some other ground to 
build upon. Such a person can ridicule empiricism, 
pantheism, and fatalism, but it merely demonstrates a 
skill in terminology, it has no effect upon thought 
which, to be a thought, it must be contingent upon an 
invisible Force which, if not God, it is no disrespect 
to believe it, considering it to be universally admitted 
that God is omnipresent. Obedience to whatever 
command a self-elect "superior" designates to a so- 



l8o THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

called "inferior," will not hold in reason unless words 
are defined to mean whatever is convenient for the 
superior. The laity are supposed to think just what 
they are taught to think. A silent thought, however, 
is a communion of spirit that no method has been dis- 
covered by a self-elect superior to prevent. Examples 
are becoming so common that even children who are 
commanded to keep silent discover they are master of 
their own thoughts. 

It is less difificult to show the policy of maintaining 
a specific quality to force, when it pertains to mental 
movement, than when it is drawn upon for muscular 
movement. An amount of force can be designated to 
be a pound, and as force has no other property than to 
move things, where can the difference be, when the 
pound of force is used to develop the protoplasm of 
the brain, or to develop the muscles of the body. It 
should be observed, however, that the difference is 
very great if it is taught to a child that God is the di- 
rection of force, instead of the fact directly revealed to 
a babe that God is Force itself. 

Such terms as lower and higher types of man are 
extremely ambiguous, having no authority other than 
the doctrine of mythology, based upon ideal thought. 
In assuming this profound attitude, men betray a dec- 
laration of self-election, the mere declaration also 
that mythology is a relic of the past by giving the 
same principle a new name. The effort to disguise a 
meaning is good evidence that something is hidden. 
From whence is this authority to designate men as 
either of high or low estate? It must be either immu- 
table dust, or eternal Force, or myth. The fastidious 
again have always a word in opposition to anything of 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. lOI 

a civilizing character, by asserting that intelligence 
transcends experience and force. Such a person re- 
quired to give a reason for such a declaration, will in- 
variably reply that he was educated to believe it. 
Thus we have myth the same in principle, only clothed 
in a new dress. It is thus brought to the individual 
faculty of thought (call it mind, brain, or force) to de- 
cide whether his own title to life is defective, or 
whether the transmission of others' thought by means 
of language makes such thoughts superior to his own. 
It is not in judgment of others that this idea is ad- 
vanced, but rather to show that whoever has discov- 
ered the difference between myth and fact, is in duty 
bound to suggest it to others. 

Experience is not transcended a fraction by any 
process that man has been able to assert, or that any 
existing records have ever proved. The Force to assert 
is also the force to deny, and the fact that thought 
precedes an act of the will is a common inheritance, 
that the indirect assertion of man has no jurisdiction 
over. The myth consists in appropriating a natural 
fact, and then trying to sell the recipe to the weak and 
credulous. The principle of ideal transcendentalism is 
balanced by the same Force that permits one to de- 
scend in the exact proportion to which one's ideals may 
transcend. "The transcendence of a thought" is an 
ambiguous term, it is a mere figure of speech invented 
by the heathens and repudiated by the Spirit of Chris- 
tianity, but polity and greed make the term convenient 
to frighten the weak, and make one believe that God or 
Force ever created man out of matter and Spirit in dif- 
ferent types or in degrees of quality ; when all man has 
discovered since records were preserved is Matter and 



l82 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

Force. The incidentals from experience are too nu- 
merous to review ; the principal ones of an intrinsic 
importance are virtue, love, morality and intelligence, 
none of which can be externally taught because they 
are all revealed to man at birth. The institution of 
education as a cardinal principle is limited to the teach- 
ing of the counterpart of what is directly revealed at 
birth — the dangers to be avoided rather than make the 
effort to transcend the truth, which is only possible to 
be obtained by direct revelation just what the Bible 
teaches, which every babe proclaims at birth. For the 
benefit of the incredulous who are prone to conserva- 
tive habits, it would be well to consider that the term 
"quantity" has no relation to the word "quality" and 
if a person will only start right he will unravel more 
myth in half an hour than he can learn from any ex- 
trinsic system of evolution that science has yet 
evolved. However weak a spark of fire may be, its 
quality as fire is always the same. Also a weak man is 
not deficient in quality because he is burdened with 
a physical type of external inferiority. It is the inner 
man that Spirit is contingent to, while external culti- 
vation is strictly confined to material things. Fire 
that is engaged with poor material will splutter and 
ynap from the defect in the fuel, but it never changes 
ihe intrinsic principle of fire. A man also may be a 
flame of accumulated quantity of either intelligence or 
worldly goods, it will be the material quantity that 
sputters with pain, but the quality of the Force within 
will always remain the same. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 1 83 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE BALANCE OF FORCE. 

THE balance of Force is the space between reality and 
imagination occupied by reason, unless imagina- 
tion has been cultivated so prodigiously that the circle 
of understanding is entirely occupied to the exclusion 
of reality and reason. Even when eternal Force is so 
mysterious that its touch of the dormant function of 
the will may restore a personality to a normal condi- 
tion, providing, however, that the will is willing to re- 
spond to the touch. Greed and polity hover over a 
person with the satanical eagerness of a vulture that 
only by the force of love is man protected from de- 
struction at birth. That some fall to destruction is a 
blessing in disguise, for the party of the second part 
being unconscious of pain, is more comfortable than 
the party of the first part, who must suffer the con- 
sciousness of the act. 

There are so many pitfalls to escape before a person 
can fully grasp the relation of experience to external 
temptations, that the principle of reason should be rec- 
ognized instead of the mad chase led by imagination 
simply because activity is dependent upon the force 
of attraction. Imagination and the influence derived 
from records of our ancestors is the enemy of progress 
that the sense of love and reason are correlative in pro- 
tecting. To love the past at the exclusion of reason, 



184 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

the balance of Force will not permit; it transcends the 
ability of man to transcend himself, if a paradoxical 
phrase is permissible. The thought is pre-eminent 
above the sign to represent it, and that fact forms the 
ground principle of man's efifort to command the Force 
by which he is privileged to exist. Imagination is a 
sense as well as a good many other cardinal principles, 
but to cultivate it for the sole purpose of obtaining an 
advantage over a weaker fellow being, is to court a 
spiritual punishment of greater magnitude than any 
man is able to inflict upon another. 

The poetical illusion of imagination deceives the 
poet who would claim special inspiration for himself 
by reference to the inferiority of others, for every hu- 
man thought is a poem just as soon as experience pro- 
vides the material of construction. That is, in the ab- 
sence of a previous experience at the expense of a fall, 
imagination or thought would be confined to its 
embryo slumber. It is only necessary therefore to ob- 
serve an object embued with an activity of inner force 
having ability enough to make and receive signs ; to 
also observe a poet in degree proportionate to his ex- 
periences. The fact that thought itself is an image 
constructor contingent upon objects experienced by 
the sense of perception, shows the folly of pretending 
to transcend experience, because the self-revealing 
character of a thought to roam at will and reproduce 
forms of objects presented to the sense of perception, 
since only for experience it would be impossible. It is 
a disrespect to the very Force that makes even the dis- 
respect possible. A person acting unreasonably who 
claims to be in possession of his reason will dispute 
his own assrtion more successfully than any objective 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 185 

opponent. The reason, that convicts the inner man in 
communion with Spirit by what is termed revery, has 
no occasion to have his dream interrupted literally ; 
besides seeking the definition of words to analyze his 
own thoughts. It makes the balance of Force very 
clear to any one willing to do his own thinking, but 
the negative and positive sides of reason (for reason 
must be a dual principle, or no notion would exist to 
reason about when it would be absurd) are not visible 
to the intellectual faculty except alternative. That is, 
it would be good exercise to a person who doubted the 
assertion that two thoughts cannot occupy the mind 
at the same instant. Again, the word "mind" can be 
used so ambiguously that a learned linguist can con- 
vince an illiterate man that his thoughts are sterile 
until a literal conveyance is established with some ob- 
ject that his sentient Force is made to appear sec- 
ondary, to the attractive influence of a designing ob- 
ject. Because pitfalls are facts to wake the slumber- 
ing protoplasm of the brain, it is no less a fact that 
more people fall into the pits of their own digging 
than those for whom the pits were prepared. This prin- 
ciple could be studied from such meaningless terms as 
"teaching patriotism, love of home, respect for moral 
precepts," everything, in fact, to convince the child 
that it is dependent for its sentient Force upon the 
condescension of its external surroundings, when ex- 
perience is the direct recipient of the necessary 
means to perceive anything. As well could a person 
presume to teach sunlight, the taste of sugar, the per- 
fume of a rose, the feeling of heat, or the song of a bird, 
as to pretend to teach the sentient Force, or love. 
Teachers are not responsible for the natural necessity 



l86 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

of pitfalls, when they have been so severely trained 
themselves to believe in the dependency of a child upon 
its surroundings ; when the child is in direct touch with 
the eternal Force of all things. Teachers are respon- 
sible, however, who have not transcended in imagery 
of thought the experience of childhood to a height be- 
yond the touch of memory ; and to escape the pitfall of 
their own digging will be as impossible as to demand 
of Force a minute of time or a fraction of space. The 
difference, therefore, between truth and theory, or be- 
tween internal facts, and external attraction that incite 
the natural thoughts (poetically termed imagination) 
is the balance of Force that man or society could not be 
trusted to control, when they are unable to control 
their insatiable greed. 

Writers upon whatever subject they take up are so 
persistent in trying to subordinate the one to the many, 
are either neglectful of their inner sententiousness or 
withhold what they know by their own experience to be 
true for a political or pecuniary purpose. It reflects 
an absence of moral courage, for how can a person use 
the Force that is self-evident and practically admit 
that he knows it. by denying to others what he so 
freely parades as his own? It shows again that moral 
courage is the real inner man, which represents the 
balance of Force that cannot be controlled or disguised 
by the effort of man to deny the truth by the apparent 
effort to protect the many, since they are always over- 
protected by their multiplicity of Force, for fear the 
one will rebelliously declare his independence and 
prove by example that the many are morally more de- 
pendent upon the one, or integral part of the whole, 
than the one is upon the many. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 187 

The mere fiat of man, that is, out of respect for the 
prerogatives of the past, that an uncultured man would 
be dangerous if it was admitted that everyone was in 
possession of the same Force. It is hardly necessary 
to call attention to the sentiment, that man grows wise 
in proportion to his mistakes, for the records of the 
past show the same thing, that the cultured man has 
always been the most dangerous to the peace of so- 
ciety and abstractly the most immoral. It is not 
necessarily a condemnation of the principle of culture 
which is a cardinal privilege, but rather its political 
feature that ever seeks to formulate a theory that 
natural intelligence must be cultivated before the self- 
revealing Force that all must possess to exist even in 
the weakest degree. It is mere idleness to try to destroy 
a concrete fact that every one's experience can verify by 
abstract objections that will always show a political 
motive or an imaginary fancy that the pagans be- 
stowed upon posterity for fear the slave would know 
as much as his master. 

It should be clear, therefore, to anyone willing to 
exercise his thinking faculties, rather than employ all 
his Force to cultivate material desires, that the rec- 
ords of the past are only valuable as showing the mis- 
takes of those who go before, which are examples to 
be avoided rather than emulated. That the sense of 
temerity and fear is a wise provision against a heedless 
destruction of oneself, is the reason a person is more 
willing to serve than exert the ncessary activity that 
personal freedom entails. It does not detract, how- 
ever, from the concrete truth that no man was ever 
born to command another ; it is not a theory or a freak 
of imagination, it is an impossibility. It is a personal 



l88 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

privilege to exercise a private reason for submitting to 
Others without being a party to the contract. From 
w^hatever view this subject is considered, the balance 
of Force is the difference between moral courage and 
the attraction of external objects. 

Whatever objection a man can formulate, the limit 
is reached in attempting to command Force because he 
is privileged to utilize it. The predilection of predeces- 
sors is being slowly abandoned in favor of what ap- 
pears to be human weakness, but in reality strong in 
moral rectitude, for it is not only evident to an un- 
biased observer, but a necessary fact also, that moral- 
ity is conserved in the base against the immorality of 
the apex. It reverses the philosophy of the pagans, 
and in like proportion the freedom of Christianity 
grows more apparent. 

A Light seeking to discover itself should be able to 
recognize that the fact had been previously discovered. 
It is parallel to Time and Space chasing each other in 
circles to see which would reach the desired end first. 
It is only a coward, however, that becomes dissatisfied 
with the natural order of things because he cannot dis- 
cover what is going to happen before it does happen. 
It suggests a virtue in imagination that material things 
do not possess, for the greed of man cannot even im- 
agine a method to monopolize the common privilege. 
The limit of greed to derive any material benefit from 
imagination is to appeal to the fear of parents, to per- 
mit their children to be taught imagination for the 
profit of teaching what was revealed to the child at 
birth free of cost. But at this point satanical greed is 
deflected again by the balance of eternal Force, which 
is the power of love to dispel fear. Whichever way 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 189 

man runs he cannot flee from the Force within, but 
greed is a coward, or Esau would not have sold his 
birthright to nurse his material appetite. Man can 
see vanity in others, when he is blind to the fact that 
he could not see it except from the reflections of his 
own feelings. A man commits suicide when he can- 
not hide from his surroundings a dishonesty which 
would expose his previous ostentation, a burden of 
humility harder to bear than the afflictions of Job. 

Also the indifference to observation, that the inner 
Force of man can silently study with no other means 
than what was naturally revealed to him, makes it ex- 
tremely difficult for a man to maintain an assumption 
of superior quality over another in his own image. It 
is noticeable by even a child that a person who will 
acknowledge the superiority of another on demand, 
will divide his time between serving his master and 
seeking a servant himself, to command. It must be 
pagan ethics, for it is certainly not the spirit of Chris- 
tianity. 

The etymologist is also a diligent worker in the ser- 
vice of his Satanic majesty's service for the importance 
of distorting words and the grammatical construction 
of sentences to give it the appearance of a fact, that 
the origin of language had a remote beginning in ac- 
cord with pagan mythology. It makes it appear true 
that man is born a dependent creature, which senti- 
ment had kept philosophers in a panic, both ancient 
and modern. When grammar depends upon excep- 
tions more than the rule, it is no credit to the English 
language. The words "subject" and "object" are very 
conveniently defined to make it proper for a subject to 
feel obligated to its surroundings for the privilege of 



190 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

serving an object in command. The king was not in- 
cluded in either subject or object. When these words 
were made relative to something of substance, it would 
follow that a king was neither something or substance, 
leaving the inference that he was supernatural or noth- 
ing at all. It merely shows the absurdity of a State 
claiming authority in imitation of a King in a nation 
that to be consistent should change the word subject 
according to its prerogative definition to that of sov- 
ereign to be in accord with the American (declaration 
of purpose). It would relieve the American etymolo- 
gist from having any more sins to answer for. The 
greed for power to command is just as great in one 
form of government as another, which is equally true 
of the man trained to the obedience of monarchical 
rules. The voice of the babe is therefore the only lan- 
guage pure enough to teach reforms. 

The relation of two persons one to the other, both 
being subject to a possible third, will show the diffi- 
culty of the modern etymologist in trying to preserve 
the purpose of words against the danger of their be- 
coming so classical that common people will know less 
from a literal standpoint in proportion as they know 
more of the ambiguity of words with their multitude 
of synonyms and variety of definitions. Are two per- 
sons both subject and object to each other, according 
as one is superior or inferior to the other? If it is the 
privilege of man to take advantage of human weak- 
ness, the pretention of doing it as a purpose of assist- 
ance is too unreasonable, when the greater effort is di- 
rected toward the confounding of understanding by the 
support of text books and literature written for an op- 
posite purpose. No person should be condemned for 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. IQI 

his external appearance, but when he insists upon act- 
ing- unreasonably he should be observed by his acts 
rather than from his external appearance. Why do we 
have a government or educational institutions? It is 
a poor apology for the increasing social disorder to ask 
such a question when education and government is a 
mere political system to protect exclusive privileges. 
It is misleading to those who are trained to believe 
that literal acquirements will enable a person to obtain 
greater luxury with a less expediture of energy, but 
the end does not justify the means, for happiness and 
moral conduct are more conspicuous among those who 
are called the laboring class than those who are pro- 
vided with material goods in both wealth and culture. 
It is a question of immediate importance to consider 
whether a person does not pay dearer for the necessary 
transgression, to obtain a living at the expense of 
others' labor, than those who are from necessity also, 
obliged to earn their living? It is too transparent for 
rational reason to even consider, whether abstract edu- 
cation is conducted with a view to render assistance to 
the laborer. It could readily be tested, however, by 
demanding an accounting from political stewardship 
to determine whether the cost of education adds or de- 
tracts from its common benefit, what is claimed for it. 
Also the balance of eternal Force could be found on 
the side of the concrete or natural education, against 
the abstract or political side. 



192 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



VAGUE TERMS. 



'T^HE consciousness that something exists if no more 
than the name, it certainly remains a fact that the 
word "something" exists. If it can be Jemonstrated by 
scientific analysis that an atom of matter can be divided 
to an invisible state, and still continue to be divided 
infinitely until the atom becomes so small that it be- 
comes Force by each atom apparently passes through 
each other, we still have the word "something" for the 
Force of thought to rest upon in its infinite flight at 
the command of "something" to transcend the visible 
and even imagine at least the ability of thought to 
command the earth to follow. While companion 
thoughts are equally believing they are conducting the 
earth in an oppostie direction. It is a comfort to 
realize that empirical self has "something," if only the 
"word" by which faith and conscious experience estab- 
lishes a personality, that no other personality can deny 
the something without admitting their own personality 
to be nothing. 

It is certainly less vague than to follow Spencer who 
classes himself among the "thinkers" who can analyze 
and determine everything to be unknowable nothing- 
ness, while he uses the word "vulgar" to designate a 
personality that can walk while lacking the faculty of 
thinking. This ability to use words to prove what a 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I93 

person wants to know, and then pronounces it un- 
knowable to others ; it would be charity at least to 
apply the unknowable to the "vulgar" as he undoubt- 
edly referred to a personality in his own image and 
called it "vulgar." Thus it would appear remarkable 
that he could analyze the inner man of an object, that 
merely reflected an external observation, and pass 
judgment on the object as "vulgar" while objects he 
could see and feel by his own sentient faculties become 
unknowable by the science of logic so profound that 
none but himself could dispute his conclusions. The 
"vulgar" at least, were they privileged to think out 
loud, would be as able to demonstrate an inner 
thought and become transformed into a subject, while 
the accuser who could judge a man he had previously 
consigned to silence, would be marvelously trans- 
formed into an object. It would appear that it was 
possible to read enough pagan literature so that a man 
could become unknown to himself. 

It is a comfort to realize that words are "some- 
thing," but as a means of distributing a correspond- 
ence of understanding they are very misleading; and 
from their synthetic possibilities, they can be used to 
give the appearance that the Truth itself was more de- 
pendent upon its extrinsic worth than its own intrin- 
sic finality. The ability to express thoughts by any 
method of language is at least more moral than an ob- 
vious purpose of the distortion of literal words to keep 
the human race in a state of war, for the purpose of 
proving or continually trying to prove that the subject 
is dependent upon its object. The ancient subject was 
the chattel slave, the property of its external object. It 
is difficult from the ambiguity of words to persuade a 



194 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

victim that he has just as' clear a title to being the ob- 
ject of a subject as the object has to claim a supervi- 
sion over the subject. 

If it was a fact that the object of abstract education 
is to really enlighten the subject, the economy of literal 
words would be the most definite means to such an 
end. It appears to be a matter of indifference after a 
person is taught to believe he is educated, whether the 
silent masses can think or not. Spencer's reflections 
on the "vulgar" has more to do with society than his 
effort to divide atoms into invisible parts to justify the 
visible injustice of man ever seeking a proof that some 
men are superior enough to command the obedience 
of others. 

It is no consolation to a man after he is born to be 
taught what he was before, and then frightened with 
pagan mythology on one side and modern philosophy 
on the other, proving "beyond dispute" as both sides 
claim ; whatever cannot be disputed is the only proof 
that the sentiment of truth exists at all. So many peo- 
ple continuing to be saved from the dire threatenings 
of those who came before and also go before, that it is 
more mysterious than to prove that matter is not a 
solid substance. 

To follow the same line of logic that philosophers 
merely prove to be false, why not analyze things from 
the so-called "vulgar" hypothesis? Howe succeeded 
in making a sewing machine when he exchanged ends 
for the eye of the needle, therefore if the so-called su- 
perior end of society are obliged to distort words to 
make their theories hang together until words again 
are able to tear the theory apart, it must be that phi- 
losophers have been far too persistent in trying to con- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I95 

serve the wrong end of humanity. So far as words go 
we know what we were before we were born, and also 
what we are Hable to be or not to be after so-called 
death. That literal words are figuratively the eye of ab- 
stract society, every attempt to even suggest that the 
illiterate end of humanity might possibly know more 
in their silence than the abstract end did with their 
ability to make all the literary noise. It seems absurd 
at first thought, but speculations from the "vulgar" 
end of humanity could show no worse failure than the 
abstract end, since letters were able to record their 
own advent. 

The effort of Darwin, Spencer and Drummond, with 
multitudes of minor lights, have all tried to make the 
pyramid of humanity figuratively stand on its apex, 
which is a scientific impossibility if the force of Nature 
is to be recognized as a party to the scheme. Literal 
words have been exclusively used in the discussions of 
doctrines, therefore any respect for such portion of 
humanity that have no literal means of expression are 
excluded from discussion. By reason of the character of 
doctrine as an instructor, it necessarily implies some- 
thing to be instructed rather than to be instructive. 
Even God is excluded from doctrine in His privilege to 
continue revealing knowledge and the ability to think 
direct to the individual born. Because literal words 
can dispute the direct revelation, it appears unworthy 
of notice in the great mass of literature to recognize 
anything that is not presented in some literal form, yet 
words dispute words, and scholars dispute scholars, 
but neither words or scholars were ever able to dispute 
God's revelation direct to the individual being from 
the lowest degree of animal life to the highest degree 
of human existence. 



196 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

Is it worth while to dispute the Truth for the pur- 
pose of protecting the principle of doctrine that has 
never produced anything but discussion, disputes, re- 
buttals and rejoinders? To allege that a notion must 
be literally established before it was worthy of notice 
by the learned in the interest of society, would, if it 
became a fact, be the quickest method of destroying 
society, but the activity of Nature will not permit of 
such an occurrence, for after the literally learned de- 
stroy themselves trying to find out how it happened, 
there would doubtless be something in the image of 
God to inhabit the earth. To ignore experience as be- 
ing knowledge directly revealed will not afifect the 
child or men of low degree as much as those who 
vainly strive to protect their greed by instituting new 
doctrines when experience was founded upon a rock 
that no word or distortion of words can disprove. 
That the representatives of thoughts can control the 
thoughts of those they represent is impossible, and 
continually being proved by the vague construction of 
terms at the behest of political greed. The way to 
prevent it, is not to formulate a doctrine to stop it, but 
for the individual who comprehends the situation to 
commence at once to stop it; the example will spread 
faster than precepts will protect doctrines. It is only 
those who are trained or broken to follow indirect 
knowledge at the exclusion of the direct, that have any 
use for doctrines. It is the reason why philosophers 
dispute themselves, because they try to find the truth 
or pretend to, with words that are false to their object. 
Multitudes of vague terms are used that are meaning- 
less, and would not be used except for the purpose to 
protect the prerogatives of doctrines which are often 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I97 

more profitable than the traffic in material goods. 
For instance, there was never but one language for the 
entire human race, and that is directly revealed at 
birth, a concrete language common to all. By the dis- 
tortion of words, literal methods of representing 
thought are also called language when its proper name 
would be a literal dialect. Written language can be 
instructive and deceptive both, but the Natural lan- 
guage is as indestructible as Nature itself. It is a trifle, 
but it is of great importance to protect the prerogatives 
of the past which greed will fight for to the death. It 
is a principle that cannot be conquered by literal words 
or vague terms. The words subject and object are 
used to make understanding as difficult as possible, 
which has been previously alluded to. It would shock 
the world like the reforms of the 15th century when 
the "new learning" took hold of people who were not 
too busy grinding the poor. The only protection the 
child has got other than its parents, is the school 
teacher with moral courage enough to teach without 
relying upon pagan prerogatives that school books and 
libraries are flooded with. Good books, like anything 
good, need no recommendation other than what they 
reveal, for vague terms will condemn themselves to 
anyone interested to study the situation. 

Who has authority outside of books derived from 
the pagans to proclaim that a child is a subject depend- 
ing upon an object? Are children obliged to be taught 
in this advanced age that they are slaves because Greek 
literature was especially prepared to teach submission 
to the literally learned as pleasing to the numerous 
gods, that they also used to fool the common people 
with? The fact is, children are not born dependent 



198 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

upon predecessors, which every person with ability- 
enough to assert their experience by making some sign 
or other, knows it to be a fact. 

The relation of words to concrete principles betrays 
the vagueness of terms which are always abstracts of 
experience. It makes the word education a myth in 
comparison to the concrete principle of education. 

The misunderstanding of the relation of terms to 
facts, is the opportunity of the learned man to take ad- 
vantage of the credulous ; moral conviction, however, 
derived from the inner school house of experience, 
would not justify even a literally learned man in taking 
advantage of another or practically betraying the other's 
confidence ; for confidence is equivalent to a trust and 
faith in God. For that reason a learned man who 
would manipulate literal terms to distort a concrete 
principle, is self-convicting of a purpose to appropriate 
an advantage from whoever he could induce to have 
confidence in him. To claim that it is impossible for 
one person to teach another would appear absurd, but 
no more so than to be obliged to resort to the use of 
vague terms to dispute it. A strict analysis of this 
proposition according to Spencer's rules would be of 
more benefit to civilization than to learn that matter 
was never solid. It would also show that words were 
an impossibility as a means of finding the truth, the 
very reason that doctrinal evolution is but the abstract 
of natural evolution of which all living creatures are 
co-partners. 

Because one person can exist comfortably in a small 
circle would account for the apparent convictions that 
the precedents of long-established customs are to be 
accepted by reason of their age. If it were so, reason 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. I99 

itself would be a myth. It is as much a personal privi- 
lege for one to neglect the development of possibilities 
within. Therefore, to be misled by the mere ambiguity 
of words is to neglect the real cardinal principle of edu- 
cation. The standard definition of the word education 
is a better proof of vague terms than any analysis of 
what is "lead forth" for to lead implies something to 
lead, and also a purpose for leading it. The main fea- 
ture is that something exists within the object that is 
either forcibly to be led or from inward willingness to 
be led. It would be confusing to point to the varied 
synonyms, for any person interested could readily 
study them at their pleasure. 

Now if experience and observation are any criterion 
— animals of every degree are extremely notional 
about being led, either bodily or intellectually. The 
moral feature of its being better or worse will be con- 
sidered in following chapters, for the subject matter 
in hand is the relation of concrete principles to vague 
terms. It must be observed that inner principles have 
a universal location that has bafifled philosophers, as- 
trologers and magicians of old, as well as modern sci- 
entists. To be concise, there is something within a 
person that is rebellious, and positively refuses to be 
led in the absence of an attractive bait As one form 
of "leading forth" becomes obsolete by reason of sub- 
jects refusing to be led by objects, other forms are sub- 
stituted, for civilization has not yet outgrown the 
ancient myth that everything must necessarily be led 
by something. The vagueness of present terms derived 
from the roots of mythology are so misleading that peo- 
ple who appear to be anxious to do what is right, will 
continue to believe they must be led by the precepts of 



200 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

predecessors. This principle appeals more directly to 
individual experience than any specific doctrine, which, 
analyzed as such, would be found to be a series of fol- 
lowers led by one person as the reputed originator of 
the doctrine. Christian precepts would be as mythical 
as its pagan predecessor, only for the fact that its very 
essence is freedom, which pagan tools to demonstrate 
a principle of freedom will continue to obstruct rather 
than construct. Education, therefore, is a divine prin- 
ciple that abstract words are mere pitfalls in compari- 
son. It adds nothing to the inner man, even by the 
etymology of the term which is to "lead forth." It 
condemns itself in the eflfort to give the appearance 
that an object can lead a subject, just as impossible as 
for literal education to transcend experience. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

CLASSICAL SOCIETY. 

THE classical is simply an over-wrought imagina- 
tion. It is remarkable that it is always subjective and 
never objective which makes it the very essence of em- 
piricism. Now the fact that experience is the entire 
stock of intellectual goods that is strictly personal 
property, it makes it interesting to study the school- 
house of oneself from which all the knowledge that is 
possible is obtainable. Classical society depends upon 
mythology as a base, after which its continuance is 
only possible to such a degree as followers can be at- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 20I 

tracted to the system. Only from disregard of the 
cardinal principle of experience can the myth of classi- 
cal society be maintained. It is dependent upon human 
weakness or imaginary expectation, both of which 
form the pitfall that humanity must accept one of two 
alternatives ; whether he will follow myth and worship 
pagan prerogatives, which is the external or material 
reward, a mere continuance of imaginary expectations 
that have to be cultivated by greater ones in propor- 
tion as they prove to be myths. 

Imagination is only the modern name for myth. Ex- 
perience cannot be transcended a fraction, which is 
neither a doctrine or affirmation. It is the truth which 
the individual only can determine by accepting the 
lesser attraction which is the inner promptings of oneself. 
Chasing imagination makes a brilliant parade, but it is a 
stern chase, never catching anything but disappointment. 
The fact that classical society presents only the external 
side (the mythical side) it is just as impossible to de- 
termine the inner side of misery or sterile ignorance, as 
to determine the thoughts of a child who eagerly watches 
its predecessors as they pass in review. The only rea- 
sonable method by which activity can contend with sterile 
passiveness is for Spirit or Force to have some substance 
to act upon, for it must be plainly realized that the most 
perfect light would be lonely without darkness for a 
comparison. That the ancients understood this princi- 
ple was evident by their extravagant reliance upon myth 
to conquer their opponents, and frighten their subjects. 
It also gave rise to a class system, the motive for which 
could be comprehended by a child. In comparison with 
modern knowledge it would appear reasonable from the 
empirical view of humanity, that no imagination could 



202 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

be conceived of sufficient magnitude to prove there was 
any more knowledge in the world now than in any pre- 
vious period. This statement would call for an explana- 
tion that terminology could continue to dispute, but to 
accept the word Knowledge as identical with the word 
Force, it would be absurd to try to prove that knowledge 
had increased any more than substance. Civilization, 
however, is a principle that moves forward more or less 
in proportion to obstructions, for the fact that it moves 
forward against the effort of man to destroy each other, 
is reasonable proof that man, controlled by greed and the 
support of doctrines to defend it, is more obstructive 
than constructive. The credit for growth is falsely 
claimed by man even as an instrument of progress, so 
long as he insists in clinging to pagan prerogatives to 
protect an external parade. To explain what the word 
civilization signifies is to go no further than to say : 
It is a result of the distribution of knowledge per- 
mitting a greater multiplicity of things previously 
known to be concentrated. It is entirely due to Force — 
God. No fraction of it is due to man as an "instru- 
mentality." To nature, as God, all is duly considered as 
an instrument, which figuratively is the series of various 
objects, man in his corporate existence included, in com- 
mon with leaves, grass, flowers, or the terminal fruit. 
In the inner schoolhouse presided over by the same con- 
crete Force that includes Nature, man as a corporal be- 
ing is no more than a blade of grass, and only by his 
self-sufficiency by which he is able to elect himself to a 
vicarious attitude, by the aid also of the common privilege 
of imagination — the faculty of thought — also common to 
every living thing with natural knowledge enough to flee 
from danger. Without the mythical inventions of literal 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 20$ 

tools (letters) in connection with the etymology of the 
pagans, no tenable ground could exist at the present day 
for classical society to rest upon. It will continue just 
as long as subjects can be attracted by objects in mythi- 
cal terminology that a subject is "under" something which 
is declared to be an object ; thus it is predicted that the 
weakest creatures are forever dependent upon the strong- 
er, an imagination that every schoolhouse of the inner 
man knows to be a myth. Theologians, philosophers and 
scientists, have all failed to prove this most important 
feature of life, that a subject is dependent upon an object, 
simply because it is not true. 

More proof is the only excuse a person can make for 
not believing his own experience; it makes education 
and discussion as endless as time and space. Imagination 
furnishes the means to an endless end, and to escape from 
ones own folly is never accomplished by commanding 
another to do what one will not exemplify himself. The 
whole principle is involved in the relation of a subject to 
an object ; as one understands this idea he understands 
it all. To continue to maintain that a subject is de- 
pendent upon an object is absurd and only possible by 
reason of the ability of one to persuade another to sacri- 
fice his own natural intuition in exchange for the tuition 
of another. A false assertion, however, will never make 
an immoral act moral; and no principle to justify "in- 
dulgences" was ever invented more wicked than to teach 
that a subject was dependent upon its object for Know- 
ledge. The force of logic will not sustain a hypothesis 
to an end desired, simply because it is desired ; for in- 
stance : 

"Up" and "down" signify a principle of substance, if 
in motion, as moving in opposite directions, therefore a 



204 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

subject either animate or inanimate is substance ; its ob- 
ject is also substance. If a babe or stone fall by the 
Force of gravity it comes in contact with an object either 
animate or inanimate. It never falls up, thus it is ex- 
tremely figurative to locate a subject under an object, for 
the apparent purpose of claiming a pre-eminence of an 
object over a subject. 

It has been proved by ancients and moderns both, 
what there is no necessity to refute, that a child depends 
upon a contact with some object for its consciousness; 
experience also endorses the idea, but that one conscious 
being can elect himself as an object of supervision over 
another with whom he comes in contact by simply calling 
the other a subject, is the point, that experience often 
the result of such contact emphatically denies. 

Neither the subject or object has any control over the 
Force of gravity and when two persons come in contact 
with each other from either a fall or otherwise, the im- 
possibility of determining the object or the subject by 
any method of proof would be to determine which sub- 
stance was first to come in contact with the other. Multi- 
tudes of circumstances could not change the concrete 
fact, the importance of which is, there is no natural or 
moral grounds for one person or group of persons claim- 
ing authority over another, by reason of classifying them- 
selves as an object toward which the subject is in duty 
bound to believe his knowledge depends. Words in no 
wise change a concrete principle ; for that reason to dis- 
pute the definition of the word knowledge, would be a 
mere discussion of etymology which has nothing to do 
with the something within the man, that knows when his 
corporal person comes in contact with a contemporary 
equally endowed within, which is also true when the ob- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 205 

ject is a stone. It proves that the object or the entire 
surroundings of an empirical subject has no moral right 
to claim credit, or demand money, or service, for pre- 
tending to instill into another knowledge of which the 
other is in possession free of cost, either in money or ser- 
vice. If it were not true the contact of two stones would 
cause each to scream with pain at the moment of contact. 
The effort to get beyond the fact of a concrete principle, 
stimulates activity derived from the fountain that would 
destroy itself, except for the direct revelations that every 
living thing has a clear title to. The etymologist, the 
biologist or psychologist, is confined to the analysis of 
the attributes of Force, but to deprive the commonest 
creature of its unsolicited title to what it knows within, 
is as impossible as to make a stone breathe. 

The continued effort to construct with Greek tools from 
which they themselves only wrought their own ruin, is 
an exhibition of vanity that even children have the means 
within to combat. 

The scholarly learned to be such and not recognize the 
difference between classical society and Christian society, 
cannot hide his lack of moral courage from himself per- 
mitting that he is able to hide it from his external ob- 
servers. Spencer and also other eminent philosophers 
withhold the most important feature of personality either 
from modesty or fear, or possibly from the synthesis of 
both principles. They all stop at a point of compromis- 
ing their own personal interests ; it suggests the thought, 
of the difficulty of being solicitous for the well being of 
others, while self interests cannot be successfully hidden 
from the observation of an object which mysteriously 
transforms itself into a subject by asking of a teacher 
why he fails to practice what he preaches. It appears 



206 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

to escape the notice of reformers who feel obliged to 
cling to classical society that the natural man and even 
the child is much quicker to notice an omission of prac- 
tice than to digest the most profound precepts. This 
advantage will be held by natural man, and the babe for 
the preservation of the human race, and if classical so- 
ciety neglects to observe the signs of the times, it will 
be such society that will suffer more in proportion as 
they depend upon myth, and superficial appearances. 
How history can be twisted into any other conclusion, 
it would be well for the sincere learned to study. The 
mistakes of the past are too conspicuous to be entirely 
ignored. They were not all the fault of the babe for not 
refusing to be born, and natural man who know enough 
to flee from the adventurers, who would betray their 
confidence as soon as it was established. 

It is idle to ignore an appeal for a recognition of the 
natural rights of the so-called "low type" of humanity 
on the ground of their inability to perceive objects who 
claim the right of their own assumption. The "low type 
are better protected by Force common to all, which 
could also be termed natural Force, or Nature itself, 
than classical society which have always existed in a 
state of fear reflecting their immoral anxiety for the 
"low type" of humanity who are nearer God in pro- 
portion to their natural protection. To ask why not 
remain in an aboriginal state rather than accept a more 
civilized state would be absurd for a person claiming 
to be classical. Nature will not permit humanity to 
remain passive any more than it consults the permis- 
sion of a person to be born. Therefore with any group 
of persons claiming to be superior with no other foun- 
dation for such claim than the possession of a greater 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 207 

degree of knowledge, both immediate and mediate, the 
disorder of society is more their own fault than the 
"low type," equally God's creatures, too ignorant in ex- 
treme cases to know themselves they are imposed upon. 
Besides if that is a justifiable reason, which classical 
literature teaches, it should also show a more moral 
condition of classical society which history and the pres- 
ent social disorder distinctly reveal. 

Reform is admitted to be necessary by persons who 
are as ignorant, or appear to be, as a child in its first 
desire to know how it all happened. When class litera- 
ture will so completely intoxicate a person as to sin- 
cerely believe that a subject depends upon its object, 
it is not strange that they feel anxious for the rising 
generation. It is a mere pitfall for posterity to escape 
by the inner Force that has been disregarded by their 
predecessors. It follows, therefore, that any would-be 
reformer, who is so overcharged with pagan prerog- 
atives as to feel himself to be a dependent upon an ob- 
ject, is more a subject for reform than any natural man 
that was ever born. Not to see this delicate point would 
be a reasonable excuse for neither studying or practicing 
it, but such persons should be kindly restrained or per- 
suaded from digging their own pitfalls deeper for others 
to fall into. 

A learned man who is able to postulate a hypothesis 
should have at least ability enough to study a fact, and 
observe the Christian relation between a subject and 
object. It is not expected that a child or illiterate per- 
son could readily be taught such a relation, but what a 
child can be taught is to have confidence in its object to 
such an extent as to never be able to think for itself be- 
yond the narrow limits proscribed by its object. There 



208 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

is a provision, however, that the Scriptures record which 
is figuratively very simple, the mere willingness to be 
born again, for a Christian will never wear pagan 
clothes gracefully. To the contrary also the inner 
beauty of an honest man will shine forth externally even 
in greater beauty than Greek art ever imagined. 

It does not follow that the mere knowledge of classi- 
cal literature is of itself immoral. It is in the visionary 
imagination of external beauty that gave to mythology 
a brilliancy that hides the reality of life from view. 
Can anyone be so ignorant as to believe that pagan lit- 
erature, such as was permitted by the State to see the 
light of day, was written for the purpose of reforming 
humanity? What it was written for was an attempt to 
prove that imagination (treated as a special inspiration) 
that mythical gods bestowed upon a favored few. The 
very tone of classical literature betrays its purpose. The 
naming it "classical" is further evidence of its untenable 
character consistent with Christian democracy. 

A literature called "classical democracy" would be as 
ridiculous at the present day as for the ancients to have 
believed, or willing to admit it, that God revealed him- 
self to every living thing. If a person is so imbued with 
classical literature as to refuse to believe at the present 
time that the revelation of knowledge is direct to every 
thing that breathes, it is more to the loss of such a per- 
son than to one who knows better. It can be seen there- 
fore if literal knowledge, or indirect knowledge is to 
continue to be maintained, it will only be possible from 
mythical imagination derived from the heathens. The 
heathens built their feathery eloquence upon the simple 
natural fact that a thought (imagery of the intellectual 
faculty acted upon by Force identical with God) always 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 209 

precedes an act. It gave the appearance that imagina- 
tion could transcend experience, and the fact that it is 
not only taught in public schools, but doubtless believed 
by a good many, is no reason why it should be believed 
or even acknowledged by people who know better. The 
mere eminence of a man who claims it, will not make a 
false principle true, even if he can persuade a multitude 
to follow him. Just as rapidly as people have courage 
enough to think for themselves, they will also discover 
they can imagine better things than classical literature 
can teach them. Because man by the Force of necessity 
is obliged to "fall" that he may know he was born for 
a purpose, it is no reason present greed should learn 
pagan methods by which pits could be dug so deep that 
the possibility of a child rising in knowledge would be 
rem.ote, in proportion to the ability of classical society 
"breaking the wills" of their own offspring. 

The same ethical principle of which the pagans tried 
to justify their inhuman conduct toward the defenceless 
of their own likeness, is very noticeable in modern writ- 
ings. That this is an inheritance from the pagans is too 
obvious to need verification. It is only a step removed 
from cannibalism. If evolution writers can hide their 
ostentation from their own conscience, it could only be 
since moral obligations had fled from their thoughts. 
To take advantage of the defenceless multitude by the 
mere noise of pagan prerogatives, and by organization 
seek to prevent a common opportunity to universal hu- 
manity, carries conviction with the effort to justify such 
unchristian conduct. If the "survival of the fittest" jus- 
tifies a continuance of classical society, what accident 
was it that destroyed the nationality of Egypt, than the 
Israelites who become so important as to destroy them- 



2IO THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

selves in striving to be the "survival of the fittest," by 
trying to slaughter their entire surroundings. After 
which the Greeks who introduced the recording of man's 
folly on a grand scale, then the "noble" Roman, who 
tried to survive by embracing Christianity, to say noth- 
ing of the Turks who took a hand at the "survival of the 
fittest"? Yet the present state of Christianity more than 
holds its own against classical pretensions. It may be 
the pitfall from which the fittest may rise, if history is 
any evidence. Nature, only one of the numerous names 
that have been assigned to God, is no respecter of per- 
sonal classification, having also a remarkable faculty of 
recuperating the waste of humanity in trying to settle the 
continued controversy over the question of who are the 
fittest to survive. The babe insists upon being a factor 
in the discussion even if the wisdom of its predecessors 
insists upon calling him a dependent. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 211 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



THE PETITION OF THE BABE. 



'T^HE fountain from which human language flows is 
-*■ from the new-born babe. No man is pure enough to 
controvert the fact that the origin of language is within 
the babe, revealed to it by a Force that were it suspended 
for a single instant the earth would burst into frag- 
ments. Science has determined the relation of matter 
and Force to be so important to the continuity of life 
that no one can afford to defy the Power that everything 
in common depends upon. 

The first tears of the babe are a rebellion against being 
born amidst such surroundings of wickedness. He is 
only reconciled by the sweet nourishment that gradually 
convinces him he was bom for a purpose. To fall from 
such a perfect communion with God can only be recon- 
ciled by its necessity. The parent at least could not be 
convinced but what every act from the first tear was a 
sign from which language can be interpreted ; to rob a 
babe of the clear title to the origin of language could be 
attributed to no other cause than the greed of man to ap- 
propriate every circumstance in life to satisfy his selfish 
desire. It is only from the rebuke of the babe that civi- 
lization is possible. 

The first definite sign that can be translated into 
"tongue" language is observed by moving a dim light 



212 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

before the eyes of the babe. If it follows the light with 
a movement of its eyes the sign is as distinct as words: 
"I am." It also denotes that the babe is in possession 
within of a Spirit no less than God. It may be but a 
feeble spark, but it is no less God and the star of Bethle- 
hem will forever set if the command of that feeble spark 
is not obeyed. It may appear to be a figurative transla- 
tion, but when was any tongue or written language ever 
formulated that did not depend upon a figure of com- 
parison? The evidence of the babe itself is better au- 
thority than any written language, however ancient. It 
can be disputed, but only in like manner to the dispute 
of the written Word. The wickedness of man by rea- 
son of his ostentation and political acquirements is 
wisely withheld from the conception of the babe. In its 
first advent upon earth its own fall is a blank and could 
it read its own future it would more naturally refuse the 
objective offerings on the terms that he shall acknowl- 
edge himself to be a dependent upon surroundings 
wholly dependent upon his advent. 

If anti-empiricism can manufacture terms from lit- 
eral characters to dispute the language of the babe — 
the voice of God — the same terms will dispute the writ- 
ten Word of God, for both circumstances are identical. 
The babe is a living witness. The Bible is a recorded 
witness of an event of an extension to the same begin- 
ning. Some of the greatest scholars have exploited their 
ability in trying to prove that the Bible is not the Word 
of God, but none have succeeded in proving that any 
other Force could have produced it. 

What was ever a more miraculous event than the ad- 
vent of a new-born babe? Christ exemplified it by liv- 
ing, preaching and sacrificing himself as "an atonement," 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 213 

which no written characters can better express. It is 
not necessary to dispute the political interpretation of 
the Scriptures, the babe can do that even before it 
"falls" from its perfect correspondence with the eternal 
Force, by which means every thing is compelled to fall 
before it can rise. Philosophers and scientists have ever 
failed to prove a more prominent first cause than a 
new-born babe. The motive appears in the interest of 
polity, or some method by which a man can satisfy his 
desire to be wicked and escape the punishment for it. 
If the future welfare of the child is a serious purpose 
of a reformer, he can never commence by proclaiming 
the dependence of the babe upon its predecessors. The 
political manipulation of written language can never dis- 
turb the original, that the babe exemplifies as a direct 
revelation, what the Bible records indirectly as a literal 
revelation. The petition of the babe is a command in 
the voice of God to be acknowledged as the origin of 
all things. 

The babe's every act is language more definite than 
what any written language can ever attain. "Why must 
I fall from Paradise?" Can it be disputed in view of 
the recorded events of individual man as an integral 
part of every nation or collective organization under the 
sun, and to hide their ostentation by searching for an 
excuse for their own wickedness when the innocent babe 
is assailed as a responsible being and rebuked in tongue 
language for permitting itself to fall from paradise. 
While man has continually failed to establish any rules 
of logic by which they could agree with each other, it 
is no less noticeable that man tries to hide behind the 
inevitable necessity of a "fall," to justify wickedness by 
what is made to appear by political parlance as una- 



214 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

voidable, by reason of the imperfection of man. The 
weakness of such an excuse can be exploited by a child 
at any time previous to its will being objectively broken 
by political chicanery, for only by the power of the will, 
which is forced to act in like manner to the primitive 
fall can the imperfection of man be overcome. Imper- 
fection, therefore is not necessary except a person is 
willing to be imperfect. In the case of a child's will 
being broken in accord with pagan prerogatives, the re- 
sponsibility rests upon the breaker rather than the bro- 
ken, or true logic can be successfully replaced by the 
literal form that is politically established. Limited, how- 
ever, to material things in accord with literal character, 
against the eternal Spiritual, that the babe represents 
and regardless of the wickedness of man in striving to 
break the child's will, "second advents" will continue to 
be repeated until the petition of the babe is respected, 
"Beginnings" will also repeat themslves in like manner 
to "advents" for no previous beginning is more impor- 
tant to man than his own empirical beginning. 

Because a babe cannot prove to whom it is indebted 
for the privilege of breathing, is no reason why it should 
not be permitted to breathe. The babe, however, insists 
upon breathing, which act is a sign declaring itself to 
be original language that no written characters can 
compare, for the simple reason it never speaks in the 
first person. The most fastidious objector to the babe's 
petition is usually a person who considers it childish to 
refresh his own memory, or more often the case with 
person who were never parents themselves. The little 
spark of Force only a degree removed from its lesser 
protaplasm exercises its natural right of petition with 
such muscular strength, that its virtue appeals to the 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 215 

sense of love previously bestowed upon its parent. A 
provision superior to state or political edict, as illus- 
trated in the flight of Mary with the babe Jesus, from 
the domain of Herod's authority. The truth is not ef- 
fected because a person can parade his superior muscu- 
lar strength in comparison to the weakness of a babe. 
If strength was the truth, that is, if the babe had no 
other protection than that exhibited by its predecessors 
in the greed of nations, and individual selfishness in 
material acquirements, the babe would never live to 
walk. 

It is only from a general view that the figurative pe- 
tition of the babe would be studied, for the sense of love 
is not an abstract, and to persons who have been trained 
to acknowledge, and possibly to believe that language 
was revealed to the human race at some unknown period 
remote, it would be a mere waste of effort. People who 
believe in the necessity of breaking the child's will to 
compel it to acknowledge the authority of its predeces- 
sors, who have no love for the babe, reason in such 
small circles as to betray the fact that their own wills 
had been previously broken. Hence the petition of the 
babe is not directed to the natural reciprocity of love, but 
to literal authority that has been so manipulated by po- 
litical design, as to make it appear that an object com- 
mands its subject. Without taking this error of termi- 
nology into account the babe's petition would be a blank, 
for it strictly relates to an appeal for the recognition of 
spiritual authority over the material, which is the limit 
of political ability to command. It involves the entire 
mass of pagan literature, and the political sagaciousness 
in keeping this literature prominent in so-called "free 
public schools" is worthy of the argument of the Phari- 



2l6 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

see, in contending that the law of Moses transcended 
the direct revelation from God. 

The petition of the babe is a continuous reproof against 
the modern Pharisee who continues to cling to pagan 
prerogatives in maintaining a vicarious attitude in exact 
imitation of the learned Pharisee. The political fog is 
woven so thick by pagan literature to obscure the luster 
of Christianity that the wonder is that it continues to 
exist potentially. The origin of language is the key 
to the situation that every babe is proclaiming until po- 
litical chicanery succeeds in breaking its will. There 
is no question but what the force of Nature will outwit 
mere politics which it is constantly doing, but if abstract 
education is for the purpose of obstructing the force of 
Nature upon the ground, that the deeper the pit is dug 
for the babe to fall into the higher it will rise, modern 
educational systems have scarcely risen above the Hin- 
doos. It would appear to be a trifle to consider the 
origin of language whether it was immediate or mediate, 
but when men of eminent learning overlook concrete 
language or become intoxicated with its abstracts, the 
cause of the present social disorder could be located 
without searching musty books for fear original princi- 
ples will cease to be revealed to babes. 
The jealousy of nations against each other reflects the 
individual on a larger scale, for the pretence of friend- 
ship only hides the concealed weapons, hence society 
which pretends to be the guardian of the weak and 
illiterate should observe how much less the "low type" 
of humanity need the assistance of a society, lacking in 
sufficient self-restraint to preserve itself from its own 
destruction. The expectation of gathering Christian 
fruit, from the cultivation of pagan shrubbery will con- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 217 

tinue as long as society persists in neglecting the petition 
of the babe. It is not prophets or prophecies, that will 
guarantee the future against the social debauchery of the 
present. History is sufficiently prophetic to whosoever 
will profit, and when a structure of imaginary wisdom 
tumbles it is the top that always suffers most. The 
tone of oratory that floods the earth is effective in sound- 
ing the alarm, but like the base drum in a band of music, 
it makes the most noise, but has nothing inside. Pre- 
cepts will preserve a passive condition of things, but the 
babe is a party that insists upon activity, for the eternal 
Force of things is self-protective against the sterility of 
precedent seeking to map out the future which is only 
revealed to babes. 

People cling to their own destruction by reason of a 
perverted sentiment that they are specifically destined to 
correct the necessity of a fall, before anyone could pos- 
sibly rise. Such people would doubtless give no heed to 
the petition of a babe, or any advent of a miraculous 
character, that did not correspond with their pre- 
arranged system of reception. The babe only is pure 
enough to represent the image of God, and out of re- 
spect for those who feel obliged to think only what they 
were taught to think, the phraseology, that the babe only 
is pure enough to represent God, could be changed by 
saying the babe only, is pure enough to represent the 
perfection of God. 

Whatever vicarious revelation, that literal signs re- 
cord as being bestowed upon any specific man, from 
its own tears, the fact is proclaimed and every effort of 
adult man to assume a vicarious attitude in contempt for 
the petition of the babe will be compelled to meet that 
fact, as much so as the babe who is compelled to be born. 



2l8 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

The Bible records the same fact when it is liberated from 
political and pagan interpretation. 

The economy of education would be resisted by state 
and political power because the pagan influence is slow 
to yield to Christian freedom. It would, however, ex- 
pose the pretension that men are born to protect the 
state, rather than the fact from a moral standpoint, that 
the state is permitted to exist for the welfare of the peo- 
ple. An intellignt public opinion cannot fail to insist 
upon an explanation from "servants of the public" why, 
if education is instituted for the purpose of making 
"good citizens" what reason could be shown that an 
economy of methods would not extend the privilege of 
being good to a greater number? 

The civil government has yet to be inaugurated that 
will respect moral obligations. State interest in any 
form of religion has always been for the purpose of 
protecting the state, regardless of any moral standard. 
The state has always declared itself to be objective to a 
subject. The American form of government is an im- 
provement over its predecessors in precepts, but sadly 
behind in practice, undoubtdly due to lack of experience 
from the necessity of experimenting with a new princi- 
ple. As long as the pagan folly is imitated by a declared 
Republic, the same danger will have to be met that has 
proved so destructive to monarchy. It is hardly reason- 
able that a people can be taught subjection to a principle 
that is constantly betraying its own weakness. The State 
cannot teach its subjects the use of literal tools for the 
sole purpose of protecting the dictatorial character of a 
State, in accord with monarchial customs, that were only 
maintained with illiterate subjects. It is idle to insist 
upon teaching a child to discard its title to direct know- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 219 

ledge in exchange for the indirect, that the State declares 
to be necessary to preserve the freedom which it also 
claims to bestow upon its subjects. If the paradox was 
true it would be equally consistent to attempt to deprive 
children from receiving a literal education, as to continue 
trying to break their wills which were honestly bestowed 
upon them by their Creator. It would be difficult to 
determine the difference between frightening children 
to serve the dictatorial attitude of a State, or try to de- 
prive them of their natural ability to discover the same 
fact under a different name. 

The freedom of religion was reluctantly acknowledged 
by the constitution makers of America. It was a com- 
promise, however, between recognizing the right of pro- 
perty in man, or the right to dictate his form of religion. 
Greed was outwitted once at least, for with the freedom 
of religion it was only a question of time when it de- 
stroyed the institution of property in man. Now the 
difference between religion and education is only what 
the State chooses to dictate. It is therefore just as much 
an attempt to compel the people to serve the dictatorial 
command of the State by a system of education, as the 
ancients tried to do by means of religion. If less severe 
the intent is the same, for the pretence of training chil- 
dren to become good citizens is an effort not only to 
transcend Nature, but the Creator as well, for by the 
State's dictation, principles can be changed by giving 
them different names, as God, Nature, and Force, identi- 
cal except for the fiat of State authority to make them 
different. 

One can refuse to listen to the appeal of intelligent 
reason, but the petition of the babe is the voice of God 
constantly appealing to the human race to shun the path 
of greed which always leads to destruction. 



220 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



LAW AND ORDER. 



T F a moral standard was as universally regular as the 
activity of Nature or the force of gravity, or what is 
embraced in the realm of Spirit, a civil law would have 
been as absurd as to throw a stone into the air and com- 
mand it to drop to the ground. Thus a presumption 
that the regularity of Nature, the movements of planets, 
and the never-failing Force that attracts substances like 
falling of bodies to the ground are recognized by termi- 
nology as laws. This giving words such a variety of 
abstruse meanings makes it extremely difficult to dis- 
tribute a comparison of thoughts of even a simple char- 
acter, almost impossible. The economy of education 
once recognized, it would be obliged to sift the incon- 
sistency of etymology before it could be even called 
economy. 

A strict use of the word "law" is confined to material 
things. It was divorced from spiritual Force by Frank- 
lin, who did more to conciliate the opposition of bigotry 
to the complete federation of the Colonial States into 
a combined United States of America. It should never 
be lost sight of when the word law is considered. His 
immortal words were, "No authority will be recognized 
between the Almighty and the United States of Ameri- 
ca." This virtually consigned law to material things 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 221 

and such civil forms of government as any people choose 
to inaugurate and defend. History bears witness that 
his prophetic words were not in vain. Because present 
conditions are not perfect does not detract from the 
original purpose of declaration, that all prerogatives 
were consigned to the junk heap by Franklin, but gov- 
ernments never rise above the moral standard of the 
people who compose it, for that reason declarations are 
only prospective, and the so-called law of God is not a 
law in the civil sense of the word, for if it were, greed 
would not be permitted to destroy itself, but to the con- 
trary, it would never have been permitted at all. That 
the relation of law to duty, command or sanction, is not 
clearly understood because people are so educated in 
the ambiguity of words that the wonder is that they un- 
derstand as much as they do. Evolution writers are 
concerned about the indifference of the common mass, 
whether they think or not, so long as their immediate 
desires are satisfied. It appears therefore, to be the 
ground principle of the doctrine of Evolution, to hold 
it to be a necessity for the "higher type" of intelligence 
to do the thinking for the "lower type." That doctrine 
would have found a ready market before the time of 
Socrates, and no doubt tickles the understanding of the 
greedy at the present day. The principle trouble is, it 
depends upon law which in turn depends upon the defini- 
tion of the word law. Because civil law is only tem- 
poral, the greedy would like to believe it was a Divine 
law also by their own fiat. But unfortunately greed and 
law both are temporal conditions, subject to no protec- 
tion from the eternal Force of things, which is uncom- 
fortably demonstrated to the greedy in ways so numerous 
as not to leave material enousfh for discussion. 



222 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

The one great point gained for the principle of inde- 
pendence, treated as a concrete principle as definite as 
the revelation of sense to the individual, was the com- 
plete annihilation of the sentiment previously held to 
by the entire civilized world. It was a complete ex- 
ploding of the "Divine right of Kings." If only senti- 
ment, in its far-reaching effect, encircled the earth. A 
true principle can neither be added to or anything taken 
from. Its denial only reacts upon the person denying 
it. It is precisely like experience which is also a princi- 
ple impossible to deny without betraying ostentation, or 
what is worse, a public parade of ones own ignorance. 
Experience, therefore, is a principle more positive than 
law, for when the "Divine right of Kings" depended 
upon the ability of the literally learned to quibble with 
words, the principle was dead in fact, however lively it 
could continue to be as a mere theory. It practically 
consigned law to a condition of political decree, for while 
the "Higher Law" so termed remained the Higher prin- 
ciple, it was an uncoupling of a special revelation with 
political authority. 

The momentum of bigotry is a slowing down process 
distinctly evident in the most orthodox holdings to pre- 
rogatives, for in the absence of civil law to enforce the 
teaching of vicarious privileges, specifically bestowed 
upon any man, religion becomes what Christ preached, 
which the primitive church tried to demonstrate, but hav- 
ing civil authority to contend against which also declared 
itself to be conducted by Divine interposition directly 
revealed. The truth of Christianity was all it had to 
rest upon, and the fact that it outlived its greatest op- 
ponent, the Roman Empire, demonstrates the fact, that 
experience always comes to stay. Otherwise Christianity 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 223 

would have been smothered in its swaddling clothes, and 
the Roman Empire, instead of being dead, would have 
doubtless continued to the present time trying to subdue 
the entire earth. 

It is due to emotion and a continued teaching of im- 
agination to excite the expectation of youth, that ma- 
terial things must be acquired to gratify an ever in- 
creasing desire, until the body will not sustain any fur- 
ther imposition. Greed would not be greedy if it did 
not suggest methods of self-defence. It is unreasonable, 
therefore, after a person has completely embraced the 
principle of greed, to expect him to be interested in 
anything reasonable. Greed, emotion, and imagination, 
could be called the science of unreasonableness. It ex- 
plains why the term, law is persistently maintained to 
embrace Spirit and Matter both, while in logic it would 
be impossible to demonstrate it. 

Emotion develops into a degree of selfishness to a 
dangerous extent, for that reason it would be impossible 
to call the attention away from selfish convictions to 
demonstrate the futility of what to a selfish person is 
a vicarious privilege to command obedience, for an ex- 
cessively selfish person (greedy) will show unmistakable 
signs externally against being subject, even to moral 
suasion. To maintain there is "a law of God" for the pur- 
pose of justifying a law of man is the point in view, and 
while one could feel charitable toward a strictly greedy 
person, knowing full well that no punishment could be 
ministered more severe than what greed bestows upon 
itself: Also the eflfort of diversified greed sympathizing 
with each other, does not mitigate the punishment that 
greed is compelled to submit to by the order of Nature 
rather than the "law of Nature" which establishes an 



224 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

important distinction between law and order. These 
words "law" and "order" are only synthetical when mis- 
used for political effect, the words in their common use 
are as opposite as the North is from the South, Order 
is the force of God, while law is the limit of man's 
authority over each other. The futility of embracing Di- 
vine order by simply calling it the "law of God" has 
been shown, but the privilege to accept it or object to 
it presents another feature of the same principle. 

No person can be compelled to think out loud, while 
it is possible to prevent from thinking at all. Thus a 
person in perfect silence can often arrive at better con- 
clusions than one who is first frightened, and then per- 
suaded to submit to whatever political interests dictate. 
After a man learns what it is to fall in infancy, it should 
be observed that falls become more difficult to overcome 
as a person develops in life. Thus a political pitfall 
usually grows deeper until it becomes a grave marking 
the place of defeat rather than one of victory. The in- 
violate privilege of silent thought is by virtue of Order 
rather than from a political law. There is no sight more 
pitiful than to observe a man who is compelled to sanc- 
tion a law of political command with an excuse of ex- 
pediency, often a necessity to preserve life. Surely the 
divine order of things will deal out punishment at some 
period, however remote, with less severity to the victim 
than the one who would defy moral retribution for a 
little material glory. 

With a more simple etymology of words there would 
naturally follow an economy of education, which would 
only occur from the personal of the teacher, when use- 
less terms would gradually disappear. For instance, the 
terms, law of God, law of Nature, law of gravity, etc., 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 225 

would disappear by reason of their application to the 
immutable order of the universe. The first objection to 
such a change of so common a custom, would imply an 
objection to the fundamental principle involved in the 
recognition of personal liberty that the American revo- 
lution wrested from the prerogatives of its predecessors. 
It would also involve ecclesiastical authority which could 
appeal to the credulity of the ignorant. But the motive 
would appear also as being more political than possessing 
any moral virtue. That greed will fight to protect what 
it claims to be its own, would in no sense disturb the 
moral principle involved. To maintain the term "law 
of God" to protect the Bible would be pretentious and 
political both, for if children must continually be cruci- 
fied on the cross of greed to protect the mere etymology 
of words, there is a motive apparently more important 
than the teaching of Christianity, which has always been 
simple and more attractive to the illiterate than the lit- 
erate. No better proof could be asked for than the pres- 
ent immoral attitude of the literally educated and the 
desperate effort of writers to maintain a superiority of 
man over man, which can only be abstracted from the 
Bible by the persistent clinging to pagan etymology. 
The simple sentence from the Bible, "The letter killeth, 
but the Spirit giveth life," means more for moral prog- 
ress than all the classical literature that was ever writ- 
ten. 

In order to maintain a political authority over Chris- 
tianity a vicarious revelation in imitation of pagan myth- 
ology must be claimed. The spiritual character of the 
Bible will not sustain any such claim, for whatever its 
literal character is, or from whence, there is not a sen- 
tence which forbids an empirical reading, or any com- 



226 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION 

mand depending upon a specific interpretation. It is 
not the present purpose to attempt to prove or disprove 
the Word of God. The empirical character of a man is 
not of his own choosing and whatever revelation his 
predecessors may have received it does not detract from 
the fact that God continues to reveal himself to the 
babe. 

It is more to the point to observe that political effort 
continues to protect greed, the word being used to ex- 
press an extravagant desire. For the same reason, in- 
stitutions of learning professing to improve mankind 
continue to teach imagination which is not disguised in 
its purpose to excite a feeling of elevation. Whatever 
virtue there may be in such teaching its literal approval 
is not derived from the Bible, which is more devoted to 
good order than suggesting any methods of disorder. 
The stimulus derived from political activity will not slow 
down with radical abruptness ; for that reason the econ- 
omy of education could be studied with a view to the 
danger of imbibing a good thing to excess. A little 
water would save a man's life at an opportune moment 
while too much would drown him. It could be seen, 
therefore, that every step of progress depends upon ed- 
ucation, the same as a razor will clean a man's face, and 
also cut his throat. 

Political effort never ceases to effect by any means 
its own selfish end, which could be seen by a comparison 
of the words "religion" and "education." No one would 
object to calling religion educational while abstract ed- 
ucation could be anything but religious. It is this fea- 
ture that makes education a political convenience, in like 
manner as religion was formally considered necessary 
by which means a Nation could control its slaves. That 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 227 

religion was recognized as a principle of freedom in 
the early days of the United States ; although vigorously 
opposed by some of the most prominent politicians, it 
was finally incorporated in the Constitution. Attention 
was therefore directed to the control of education which 
was not included with religion. The fact that the cardi- 
nal principle was the same while the words were differ- 
ent, enabled astute politicians to avoid the spirit of the 
Constitution by appropriating the letter. 

If anyone can explain why religion should be free, and 
education left to the control of politicians, who are not 
remarkable for religious attachments, they would have 
grounds for an investigation that would be more astonish- 
ing to the public than minor affairs conducted by poHti- 
cal supervision. To leave this matter entirely to the 
order of God would not materially effect the continu- 
ance of civilization, but if such dependence can be relied 
upon, the instrumentality of politicians would be as un- 
necessary as the absence of any reform agitation. It 
would be a proposition equally as profound as to com- 
pare the relation of religion to education, to determine 
whether political law should supersede the Higher order 
of things. It is not difficult to determine what should 
be, but what is, cannot be so conveniently handled. 



228 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



NATURAL INTELLIGENCE. 



T T is not the purpose here to even pretend to estabhsh a 
•'■ judgment of infalHbiHty ; it is more strictly to the con- 
trary. Whatever the word "intelHgence" signifies, the 
important feature is to decide by one's own thoughts, 
whether empirical experience can be transcended by a 
principle of vicarious revelation giving the appearance of 
divine authority, for a man claiming to possess superior 
intelligence to transcend another. The fact that it can 
be accomplished by a greater degree of intelligence the 
same as a flame of fire is more difficult to contend against 
than a spark is no reason that it is a moral principle. 

In kindness therefore, from a Christian spirit between 
man and man in the sight of God, has it ever been proved 
that natural intelligence is not the sum total of all that 
God ever revealed to man? Degrees of magnitude 
could not in reason add quality to any concrete principle. 
A collective force can crush a person of weak intelli- 
gence and also prevent such a person from ever com- 
prehending the slight revelation that was bestowed upon 
him at birth. The point is, because collective force of 
every character has always been more or less controlled 
by political authority, does that detract a fraction from 
the moral principle universally revealed to humanity and 
literally termed "intelligence?" 

After having imbued a conviction from the perception 
of some object, and also coming in contact with it, cans- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 229 

ing pain and possibly anger, it would be absurd to con- 
tend that the sense of feeling as a concrete principle 
had become added to what previously existed. The pain 
subsiding, it would be reasonable to conclude that a like 
cause would produce the same result, as often as a per- 
son chose to repeat the experiment, also it could be en- 
grossed upon the memory or forgotten. In which ever 
way it was viewed, it would be unreasonable to contend 
that the natural sense of pain had been increased. A 
fire occurs and continues as long as fuel is within reach 
of the flame, but the element of fire neither loses or 
gains. A rock falls to the ground from a projecting 
ledge with great force, but the principle of gravitation 
would not be increased or diminished unless a person of 
an imaginary disposition chose to believe it, when the 
rgular order of gravitation would not be disturbed in 
the least by the decision. 

Mr. Spencer's method of reasoning to prove that in- 
telligence grows, is entirely embraced in his effort to 
prove the superiority of man over man. In order to 
satisfy himself that he had proved it, he makes a rule 
that whatever cannot be proved false by the regular meth- 
ods of destructive reasoning it would be proof that it 
was true. Therefore, if a "low type" of person with 
intelligence undeveloped, by his doctrine of evolution 
was pronounced dead by the regular method of deductive 
reasoning it would be extremely disrespectful for the 
"low type" person, although alive, to dispute it. 

All discussions appear to be confined to a very small 
circle, which is to determine whether intelligent force 
has any more intrinsic quality than natural force, or the 
force of gravity. It can be proved without doubt that 
imagination and theory can be extended to circles of un- 



230 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

limited dimensions, until a man could visit the moon 
during the intervals of wakefulness in a single night, 
but to obtain an audience to believe it, would be a more 
serious proposition. 

What constitutes personality appears to be beyond the 
power of deductions and when two men try to prove the 
possibility of a vicarious altitude invested in any single 
individual, by flattering each other until both believe it, 
it does not detract in the least from the sacredness of 
a single personality, or the impossibility by any known 
method of deduction to determining a single thought re- 
vealed direct to another from a common Creator. For 
that reason it is strictly an empirical problem to believe 
or not believe that no addition of matter or Spirit had 
been added to the universe since consecutive "beginnings" 
first began, may the period be remote or near. No slave 
was eyer chained who could be deprived of his sense of 
liberty, revealed to him direct by the same Force that 
all intelligence is revealed. Not to believe it is more 
loss to the person trying to nurse his own appetite to a 
vicarious altitude by the mere ability to distort words 
to serve his own selfish end, by frightening the weak, 
persuading the credulous, and ridiculing anyone who 
dared to oppose his ever-increasing appetite, until greed 
was mistaken for a still higher altitude, when it becomes 
the master of the human intelligence that was revealed 
to him at birth. 

It is one thing to frighten a person to a condition of 
subjection, another to persuade him to admit his inferior- 
ity to a person in his own image, but it is impossible to 
compel another to be willing, when the will refuses to 
endorse the act. Intelligence can never be analyzed be- 
yond the personal experience of the one attempting to do 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 23I 

it. To meet all the objections that could be made against 
a general principle does not effect the moral obligations 
of man to man. One abstract can be butted against an- 
other until the person who is the most fluent in the use of 
literal language would appear satisfied that he possessed 
superior intelligence, as a reason why he could silence his 
opponent. It is impossible for a person who clings to 
his original revelation of sense intelligence, to be de- 
ceived by mere literal acquirements, a narrow view that 
resolves itself into an extremely ostentatious attitude, 
which may be mistaken for morality, or a privilege to 
be greedy; a mere individual view of liberty controlled, 
however, by a cultivated appetite. Literal acquirements 
are no more intelligence than a suit of clohes is a man. 

Everything that moves by the inner Force of which 
everything is provided that moves at all, is intelligent; 
even the most minute protoplasm could never grow to 
maturity without it. Besides so-called dormant or in- 
animate creatures are possessed with a touch of intelli- 
gence, or such would always remain dead. It is not the 
object understood that transmits natural intelligence, but 
rather the inner Force — intelligence itself, which is the 
power to understand. The babe falls, and coming in con- 
tact with some object, which it is conscious of because it 
cries. Its tears are the proof of intelligence, for dead 
matter does not cry out. Call it intelligence or the 
"breath of life," instinct, or whatever term that polity or 
the greed of man could suggest, the immutable fact is not 
changed whether a person believes it or not. In fact, it is 
the more readily discerned by a thoughtful person to ob- 
serve another denying an immutable principle in the ab- 
sence of which, the denial of its existence would be im- 
possible, 



232 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

Natural intelligence, natural order, natural religion, 
natural education, and the government of God, are all 
universal principles that no man can change or alter. 
Man's privilege to dispute it is balanced by the privilege 
of another to affirm it. The very word "freedom" would 
have been a useless character if no such condition were 
possible. Man can be trained to such a condition of 
personal conceit that he can discover faults in Nature 
and devote his entire literary ability during his life in 
trying to demonstrate that everything but himself is at 
fault. Pure charity, or the touch of love for a fellow 
being, could strive over a corpse with the purpose of re- 
storing it to life again, with a better prospect of success 
than to restore a conceited person to a normal condition. 
The least opposition to his opinion would be resented 
as an infringement upon his personal liberty. Literal 
conceit will cling to literal morality, and the more ability 
one acquires in letters the more desperately he will cling 
to the end he cultivates. Because he cannot compel 
everyone to respect his opinions, he always attributes it 
to the fault of his surroundings. Doubtless he was early 
taught that he was a dependent upon external objects. 
A respect, therefore, for natural intelligence, or natural 
morality would be as repulsive as to respect a person 
who dares to meet his frown of disgust for anyone to ad- 
vance an opposite opinion than his own. 

The system of education with a political purpose of 
crippling the natural intelligence of youth, is only a 
modified form of compelling him to serve an end from 
which he is excluded. It is the same general principle 
that ancient slavery was founded upon. Hence after a 
person becomes sealed up within a circle of conceit and 
greed, nothing but the simplicity of natural morality will 
preserve humanity from such influence. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 233 

Natural g-ood order will force itself upon the attention 
of unselfish reformers who possess moral courage enough 
to "render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and unto 
God what belongs to God." The same political effort 
to control the present school system in opposition to 
natural morality has the same end in view with the pagan 
officials were seeking to their own destruction. The 
mere asserting that literal morality superseded the natu- 
ral, will doubtless continue like chattel slavery, until the , 
parents realize they must flee from it by the force of a 
moral nature revealed to everything that lives. 

Natural morality is as much a part of human sense as 
the defensive organs of sight, hearing, etc. It is there- 
fore absurd to claim that intelligence is an objective ac- 
quirement. Natural intelligence is the only principle by 
which education is possible. That it can be taken ad- 
vantage of by the political eagerness of man for authority 
over his fellow image, is the reason why he is just as 
eager to control the state which is as dependent upon 
the support of the people composing it as the people are 
for food to sustain life. The greed of abnormal man 
would institute an etymology of words that would prove 
his right to usurp the authority of the entire earth. The 
only protection the multitude of humanity has got, is 
the courage of defence against a continual demand for 
more service and less return. The political official will 
prove to the expectant youth, that a superior education 
will gratify his desire for adulation which is gen- 
erously bestowed upon a select few with a patronage 
of tenderness, for which children are particularly sus- 
ceptible. The politician, however, could not be such 
without betraying a defence of his personal interest, by 
an extravagant action to hide it. The children are per- 



234 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 

suaded to believe that only for the paternal care of the 
state and the self-sacrificing politicians, are they pre- 
vented from turning into wild animals. 

It is not to be wondered at that stately European 
scholars laugh at the extravagance of political America. 
The pretence of teaching liberty and servitude as com- 
panions is a form of slavery that is unique. It presents 
an incongruity, however, to teach a natural privilege to 
be reached by political control. Education is just as 
natural as intelligence, but just as dangerous as to at- 
tempt to enforce a specific religion when the end is dis- 
guised by political intrigue. To obstruct the natural 
order of things by forcing text books into the public 
schools to inflate the imagination before children are 
physically developed is a form of slavery that should be 
emancipated. It is doubtful if any ancient form of slav- 
ery was as cruel. If America can prevent natural free- 
dom from continuing on according to the natural order 
of things, by enforcing a specific liberty, disguised as 
liberty proper, revealed to everything that moves, it is 
equally as despotic as any state that ever existed ; and 
also ceased to exist on the same lines that greed is trying 
to rule America. 

No nation ever attempted such a wholesale sacrifice of 
children to gain a mere political end. The recognition 
of natural intelligence was the fundamental principle of 
the growth of America. Political greed will not listen 
to any compromise or concession and it is the sacred duty 
of school teachers to counteract the teaching of extrava- 
gant expectations, for the wrecks of disappointment are 
already scattered over the entire nation. An entire peo- 
ple of a nation are being trained to believe that mere 
artificial attainment entitles the possessor to live upon the 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 235 

labor of others. It is the most elaborate pitfall that was 
ever dug for a nation of people to fall into. Some teach- 
ers are fully alive to the present situation, but it is only 
in their individual action that they can counteract the 
combination of political greed in collusion with insti- 
tutions claiming to be religious, for a single purpose, 
however, of flooding the public schools with pagan lit- 
erature. 

No nation can exist on literature, department stores 
and divorce courts. The product of the earth will not 
appear at the command of either state or political author- 
ity. No slave was ever born that could be compelled 
to submit to a master without a conflict with natural 
intelligence. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



PERSONAL LIBERTY. 



n^ HE will is potentially strong in the inner man. The 
"'■ knowledge of its power is a matter of experience. It 
is self-revealing, but a transitive act, if governed by cau- 
tion from such faculties as fear, love, and courage. Per- 
sonal liberty has always been a natural privilege as much 
so as the will and the wont. The great significance of 
the will, however, is the fact that it has bafiled all phil- 
osophers, theologians, and scientists to analyze this sim- 
ple faculty of human organism. Hypnotism is the near- 
est approach, but strength of will baffles even that mys- 
terious power. That a stronger will, which is only a 



236 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

material faculty acted upon by the Spirit can perform 
such a feat, is the best possible evidence of the sovereign 
character of the will. 

Ancient philosophers gave evidence of a recognition 
of the personality of the will, and also perpetuity of per- 
sonal liberty, but all writers in the past were subject to 
state censor, their writings, therefore, are more remark- 
able for trying to make truth or hide it. This effort to 
adjust science and philosophy to the policy of state, gave 
natural truth the appearance of being subordinate to the 
artificial or literal authority dictated by the sovereign 
power of the state, it having no more natural sovereignty 
except in degree than an individual person. 

If the word knowledge can be distorted for a conven- 
ience of discussion some word should be coined that 
would express the most important event in human ex- 
istence. Sense, experience, cognition and conception are 
some of its numerous synonyms, yet to be true it must 
be a concrete fact from which no abstract could be de- 
duced, for experience is as personal as the will. The 
effort to deprive the individual unit of his title to a direct 
revelation has caused m.ore intellectual exercise than was 
ever wasted in seeking the truth. The Bible even bears 
its share of the distortion of facts. Because it is ad- 
mitted that conception depends upon the perception of 
an external object, a new comer on earth is immediately 
claimed to be a dependent upon his more previous fel- 
lowmen. To maintain this theory, ideal thought must 
be held to be superior to the actual fact revealed to a 
babe, when it comes in contact with an object from which 
circumstance some ancient politician declared it to be 
a sin to realize a personal presence with one's self for the 
first time. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 237 

It is not for the lack of knowledge that children are 
compelled to suffer, but rather for lack of attention from 
their predecessors, who lack the courage to admit what 
they know to be a fact themselves. 

It can be claimed by those who are chained to pre- 
rogatives by reason of their timidity, that instruction and 
teaching imparts knowledge, but it is not the kind of 
knowledge that is revealed to a child when it comes in 
contact with an external object. Instruction can be good 
or evil, but when an instructor presumes to teach pre- 
rogatives of which he has no knowledge himself, it is 
not instruction as a virtue, but more properly polity. 

Writers are pretty generally agreed that empirical in- 
dependence is a delusion, that is, it is a "settled" con- 
viction that individual man is a dependent creature. In- 
dependence therefore, that was the glory of America 
immediately after the war with England, was a mere 
dream so far as personal liberty was concerned. Allow- 
ing for the moment that the scholastic ability of the 
world forms a peerage of such strength that none can 
enter it without subscribing to rules despotic as any king 
ever assumed. If empirical independence is a myth, is 
it any more so than the claim of united scholarship to 
an exclusive property in letters, strictly subject to rules 
tacitly agreed upon to protect an authority of state over 
any inferior pretension to a common property in know- 
ledge? When any desired end can be established by 
literal words and "settled" by the entire fraternity, or 
those who have acquired "good repute" which must be 
assented to by the remainder or excommunicated from 
the country, it is pertinent to observe that a delusion 
in regard to personal liberty is equally as tenable as one 
reached by a scholar of good repute, when a conclusion 



238 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

must be abandoned simply because another scholar had 
transcended him in reputation proving the previous end 
to be false, only to be repeated by another who becomes 
more proficient in the game of words. 

To the strictly independent person, no less than per- 
sonal liberty, it is of no material consequence whether 
he is adjudged dependent or not, so long as he retains 
natural courage enough to maintain an unsolicited birth- 
right. The contentions over this problem, as a mere 
sentiment, have led to more serious wars than any other. 
Since the first social state was first organized for mutual 
protection, official importance has developed to marvelous 
proportions until to be an individual one must be a King 
over something. After all the wars and violent discus- 
sions over the problem, has not personal liberty been a 
fact all the time? The greater problem is to determine 
whether political greed can continue to make the people 
believe they are dependents, which must necessarily in- 
clude the scholastic to prove that material things 
can transcend the spiritual. 

It is not so much the concern of so-called "inferiors" 
for as a whole they are free from the responsibilities of 
their superiors, and no external ostentation can entirely 
hide the punishment within. Thus we have arrived at 
two principles of personality that cannot be shaken off: 
one of which is responsibility, and the other that no 
one can be compelled to suffer the pain he has individually 
earned, while he tries to convince another that liberty 
is a myth. It is much less consequence to the subject 
than to the scholar who dares not or will not correct 
his own mistakes. 

When personal liberty ceases to be a fact, the last man 
will have passed from the face of the earth. Civilization 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 239 

is entirely due to the natural adjustment of the vagaries 
of man who would neglect his opportunity for enjoying 
the bounties of the earth in ever seeking some one he 
could convince was inferior to himself. Nations, doc- 
trines, and all institutions of an ethical character are 
each trying to convince the other of their own vicarious 
appointment, to overcome the evil which their own efforts 
represent. One's own natural desires, cultivated to a 
condition of greed, will cause a person to overlook the 
regularity of natural order, while he continues to insist 
that the earth is gone to pieces because he feels that his 
surroundings are depriving him of personal liberty. Yet 
personal liberty is proved by the continual effort of col- 
lective force to condemn a principle that would destroy 
even themselves. 

Man is compelled to breathe without his consent, and 
immediately his personal liberty is established for he 
cannot be compelled to live ; which becomes a conflict 
between desire and willingness to make the effort. If 
he shifts the responsibility of his existence upon others 
who are contending with each other for the privilege, 
he must obey his master, or he will be thrown upon his 
personal resources, the principle of which is his desire; 
if that is not strong enough to incite the necessary ac- 
tivity to obtain food, his career comes to an end. There 
could be no activity without conflict and the effort of 
man to organize a force to deprive the individual of his 
personal liberty is mere idle employment. 

The right to assert a vicarious attitude to even per- 
suade a person to follow the doctrine set forth is bal- 
anced by the organization of a counter doctrine. It 
demonstrates a privilege equally as vicarious to main- 
tain an individual independence. It is the principle here 



240 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

considered rather than the expediency, which is not in- 
volved in the moral right of a strict personal liberty. 
The point is, the state or collective organization is the 
product of the spiritual liberty individually revealed at 
birth. The effort of a state to control its own founda- 
tion, is only possible by some coercive method in like 
manner to the master who had to overcome the will of 
the slave before he was of any service at all. The ap- 
petite again was the medium of appeal to conquer the 
slave, but the question remains, is it morally right to 
deprive a person of his spiritual liberty revealed to him 
at birth? 

There is no evidence but what natural man is just 
as willing to be educated and Christianized as he was 
to be born, but when greed makes merchandise of a 
principle as free as air, the only safe position is a 
strict independence, for no collective force was ever 
strong enough to force an unwilling service. That 
this principle is proverbial since time was first re- 
corded, it is perfectly idle for any person to seek a 
justification for the sentiment of vicarious superior- 
ity of one person over another. Is the title to such 
assumption prior to that revealed to the babe? 
Christ never preached such doctrine and the spirit 
of the entire Bible from cover to cover defends per- 
sonal liberty against the greed of collective force. 
It would be mere folly to discuss the Bible with a 
person who lives in so small a circle, as to defend ab- 
stract doctrines, against the personal liberty of em- 
bracing the spiritual character of the Bible as a 
whole. The church militant is a political institution 
in comparison to the church of God so radically cath- 
olic that a person can join it without asking permis- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 24I 

sion or recognizing any other person than the within 
of one's self. The coercive power of political doc- 
trines, or political presumption of any character are 
prompted by commercial profit, or natural desire 
often inflated to a condition of greed. 

Christianity is the very essence of personal liberty 
that political doctrines have assailed ever since it 
was founded, while the chattel slave was held in 
bondage by political doctrines, and after the slave 
freed himself, political doctrines claimed to be his 
liberator. When did a collective organization ever 
yield anything of which it got a hold? It was the 
fugitive slave individually that defied the entire polit- 
ical power of America. He was no longer profitable 
to greed unless he could be either forced to serve or 
starve. The sectional contest in the United States 
was confined to contract labor in the North, against 
the slave labor at the South. Philanthropy was a 
mere agitating factor ; political greed was divided and 
the free laborers at the North of the common order, 
would harbor the fugitives until they were safely 
landed on English soil. The legislatures of the North 
were compelled by public opinion to pass a personal 
liberty bill in opposition to Federal law. It was, 
therefore, the effect of moral courage rather than any 
political effort, that recognized what the Declaration 
of Independence and the Bible had previously re- 
corded, that every living thing is free just as soon as 
it has courage enough to take it, like the fugitve 
slave. Not to demand it of a Legislature, because it 
was his by right of birth. 

If a person would study the reason of things at- 
tentively as between man and man, as existing in 



242 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 

perfect equity, conclusion of moral benefit could be 
reached with feelings of satisfaction and happiness, 
far greater than any feeling of superiority in the mere 
degree of possession, for it has been the purpose to 
show that material things only are expected by per- 
sonal volition. The realm of God kindly considered 
as Knowledge or Force, is the motive power in com- 
mon to all. It casts no reflection upon others who 
believe the definition of words can only be estab- 
lished by scholars, who appear to hold to ancient cus- 
toms to attribute one man's advantage over another 
as special revelation. No account being taken of the 
simple fact that a person in possession of a mere vol- 
ume of Force could accomplish more than one en- 
dowed with less. Also to accept the apparent fact 
that literal instruments (letters) can be equally used 
for evil purposes as for good, it certainly holds the 
equality of all that constitutes a man on the same 
footing regardless of the distortion of words and the 
rendering of literal authorities to give to himself a 
vicarious attitude in a nation that has grown great 
upon the Christian principle of freedom. A usurped 
form of government should be obeyed ; for to obey in 
the interest of law and order with the privilege of 
public opinion to express itself peacefully, is a great 
advance over the past. 

Political supremacy and greedy monopolists are 
digging their own graves. The effort to manipulate 
educational systems and sacrifice children to serve 
political greed is scarcely less fiendish than it was 
to sell children after taking them from their parents 
by state authority. The State can only exist by vir- 
tue of its surroundings, or personal support ; other- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 243 

wise it would be like a hole in the ground that could 
not be located after the dirt surrounding it was re- 
duced to a common level. To live in constant fear 
of public opinion is not worth what it costs, and ex- 
perience will be more difficult to hide than the pre- 
tence of trying to educate children to become good 
citizens, when there is no evidence that God ever re- 
vealed special privileges to politicians. The State 
may be sentimentally considered to be the creature 
of political greed which occupies the inner circle, but 
the outer circle will always command the food sup- 
ply. 

It is a significant proof of Personal Liberty that 
the direct revelation of God can be defied by literal 
acquirements, when a person can claim the indirect 
method of transmitting revelation can transend the 
direct. It is also apparent that a person can claim 
an apotheosis attitude for himself and others. Also 
to claim that a coterie of politicians can usurp the 
authority of state and defy the vote of the people, 
the right of petition, the courts, or any one who whis- 
pers a word against political greed. It can in behalf 
of personal liberty declare itself to be the court of 
last resort, when public opinion cannot be smothered 
by political satellites. Education and religion relat- 
ing to the same principle can be separated for the pur- 
pose of evading the Federal Constitution on technical 
grounds, for a corrupt political system in imitation of 
the Ancients must control either religion or educa- 
tion ; either will effect the same purpose to prevent 
as far as possible the people thinking for themselves. 
The worship of greed being pf vital importance to po- 
litical ambition, pagan literature is forced upon the 



244 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

public schools to the exclusion of the Bible, because 
religion was declared to be free by the founders of 
American independence. Idolatry, therefore, is the 
only system of ethics that political astuteness can 
depend upon to perpetuate their authority, for fear 
God will discontinue revealing personal liberty to 
babes. 

Personal liberty, however, is a far-reaching prin- 
ciple, and the individual teaching having a respect 
for moral rectitude, can discreetly counteract the in- 
fluence of pagan literature and do much for the ad- 
vancement of Christian principles, which are more 
simple of comprehension than pagan ethics, because 
whatever is natural and moral is always simple. It 
is apparent, therefore, that personal liberty is two- 
edged, represented on one edge the blindness of 
greed, when completely established by the common 
privilge of education. It can reject direct revelation 
by committing suicide, it can deceive the innocent, 
betray the confidence of the credulous, it can demand 
service without compensation, it can compel poor 
parents to pay taxes to force their children to be edu- 
cated in pagan literature, both of which wealthy par- 
ents are not compelled to do. It can ridicule voters 
for not electing better men for office. But one thing 
only, personal liberty cannot accomplish, that is, to 
escape the consequence of one's own personal act. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 245 



CHAPTER XXX. 



DIRECT REVELATION. 



'T^HERE is no circumstance in human life of such vital 
■'' importance to the natural privilege of education as 
consciousness. It is prerequisite to recognize the dis- 
tinctness between Spirit and substance, and to be 
tentatively exact, substance can be analyzed w^hile 
Spirit refuses to be weighed or measured. The fas- 
tidious, however, can find words to prove whatever 
end they seek. When the economy of education is 
considered to be of common interest, the unqualified 
truth as a fundamental principle should be recognized 
regardless of doctrines or polity. Experience is, 
therefore, a revealed fact of an empirical character, 
to dispute which would equally admit it.' Intuition 
should be admitted without objection, or tuition even 
would have no subject ; and a predicate without a 
subject would be too absurd to consider. 

Theories, therefore, should be discussed as such, 
quite distinct from facts. The relations of society 
have nothing to do with revelation or its Spiritual 
importance to the individual person. Society being 
recognized as an ultimate end, for which education 
or tuition is equally proper, the direct revelation 
should at least be respected, when it can be so readily 
proved that it cannot be taught by man to man, 
which every one's experience will prove. It being 



246 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 

the fundamental principle of every reasonable 
thought, and for that matter unreasonable ones also, 
besides the very source of knowledge and intellect, 
it should be at once observed that personal relation 
with God was distinctly established independent of 
external influences. The particular method by which 
direct revelation is bestowed, is of no importance 
compared with the impossibility, so far as revelation 
reveals of transmitting actual experience from one 
person to another. 

That personal thought is a sacred communion with 
the Spirit revealed, should at least be considered, 
allowing that other circumstances were given greater 
consideration. It does not detract in the least from 
any other personal revelation, of whatever character 
or degree ; it is the direct feature that constitutes the 
all-important fact. Whatever doctrine or belief one 
may be trained to profess no one can be forced to 
repel a direct revelation, in fact a direct Divine com- 
mand that one is always compelled to obey. After 
revelation becomes a fact the only personal privilege 
is to refuse to live, by not recognizing the command 
of any surrounding object. It may reflect a stubborn 
condition to die rather than recognize command in 
one's own image. It merely suggests the immortal 
words of Patrick Henry : "Give me liberty or give 
me death." 

It is often remarked by psychologists that a babe 
does not know anything until it is taught by some 
object, but what institution, collectively or individual, 
can teach the babe as much as God reveals to it 
direct? 

It is not immediately important to consider social 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 247 

duties in connection with direct revelation, it is pro- 
per to recognize the most mysterious phenomena in 
human life in its absolute distinctiveness. Polity has 
no connection with natural regularity. Even admit- 
ting that ideal thought can conceive a purpose of 
polity in a direct revelation, it must be also admitted 
to be imagination in opposition to a revealed fact, 
for a comparison of revelation is only possible by 
signs of comparison, which disclose a reasonable con- 
clusion that the sense of understanding is an intrinsic 
principle. The greater or less degree does not signi- 
fy quality, neither does the facility of imagination 
permit of the intrusion upon the sacredness of a 
direct revelation. It can only be imagined after the 
revelation of consciousness and never before. Con- 
ditions imagined can be affirmed or denied equally, 
but after a subject comes in contact with an object, 
the direct revelation cannot be denied, even by the 
assumption of imagination that experience can be 
transcended by an abstract derived from a concrete, 
so absolutely intrinsic as direct revelation. Its sim- 
plicity could only be objected to except in defence 
of some doctrine or polity, which would have to be 
imagined to transcend the very omnipotence of God. 
The ability to distort words to protect or encourage 
the organizing of a support of some doctrine or pol- 
ity, is an abstract from concrete knowledge directly 
revealed to the individual of whatever character in 
possession of a motor capable of moving itself. To 
contend even that an abstract from a concrete prin- 
ciple can be cultivated or trained to become superior 
to the whole from which it is derived, would be 
necessary to prove before the ability to transcend 



248 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

experience could be tenable as a logical conclusion 
that every living thing that moves, grows, or is acted 
upon by Force, performs its respective actions re- 
gardless of the source or from whence the motive 
power. It is this unknown Force that men have 
pretended to have had specifically revealed, common 
to all ages, that the mere sentiment of superiority of 
one man over another is based upon. To what ex- 
tent it may be believed depends upon customers who 
can be forced, trained, or persuaded to believe it. 

It is of no consequence to an individual what an- 
other believes, unless he seeks an advantage in re- 
pelling an aggression, or acting aggressively. It is 
the moral sense directly revealed by the first fall that 
is involved ; if it is disregarded the responsibility will 
be as directly enforced as the revelation that made 
the act possible. To shift the responsibility, or try 
to, upon one's surroundings, might be an external suc- 
cess, but an internal failure, as definite as to deny a di- 
rect revelation. 

It being admitted or rejected as the case may be, 
the exclusive communion with Spirit is so strictly 
empirical as to defy any proof to the contrary. To 
reject it is irreverent and immoral ; to admit it is to 
discover more definitely the full force of a direct rev- 
elation, and its relation to material things. The im- 
possibility of teaching spiritual communion is the 
point to be observed, which experience alone can de- 
termine. It is as impossible for one to teach it to 
another as to attempt to teach the sense of sight, 
taste, or hearing. Thus it could be seen, that it is 
not the object tasted that teaches the taste, but in- 
stead it is the Force directly revealed to the organ of 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 249 

taste, otherwise if it is the object that can teach the 
sense of taste, two lumps of sugar should be able to 
teach to each their sweetness. It only concerns doctrines 
and collective organizations dependent upon greed 
and theories, to maintain the polity of material re- 
ward for what is mistaken on the surface of things 
for moral rectitude, which only hides the fire of retri- 
bution within. 

A person who is led away from direct revelation, 
the only method by which a communion of spirit is 
possible, is no more responsible for attractive in- 
fluences than an animal who follows his natural de- 
sires. Whether he can be adjudged so by the polity 
of doctrines or civil law, would only stir up the con- 
test between the defenders of materialism, deducted 
from the pagans, and also incorporated into Christian 
ethics as a political measure to give color to the pre- 
tended right of one man to command another; sup- 
ported by the dogma of a specific revelation, a pagan 
idea, which was forced upon Christianity by civil 
authority. It is not the purpose here to deny or 
affirm the doctrinal tenets of Christianity, for there 
are so many that they are fully competent to pre- 
serve or destroy themselves, according to the mag- 
nitude of their following. 

It is the moral obligation of the individual to rec- 
ognize the direct revelation, regardless of the collec- 
tive organization he chooses to embrace, for material 
protection. It has always depended upon moral 
courage to defend the human race against the ra- 
pacity of political greed, since letters have recorded 
human events. 

The proof of a direct revelation is in the fact rather 



250 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 

than derived from doctrinal controversy. Literal 
writings record the fact as exemplified by Christ, 
and when did the Truth ever need doctrinal support 
to prove it to be true? Has the Truth ever failed to 
protect itself? What has the story of Christianity 
got to do with concrete principle involved? A belief 
in the letter of Christianity is what nations have been 
fighting over since the 15th century. The "new 
learning" developed the fact that no one nation could 
monopolize Christianity, and no abstract church could 
appropriate to itself the pecuniary profit exclusively, 
which the "dark ages" had demonstrated. This is 
not a theological discussion, however, it has to do 
with direct revelation and the simple faith that Christ 
preached. Collective bodies with an honest motive 
have always improved society, but a strict holding 
to doctrinal importance is more political than philan- 
thropic, for that reason the attributing to Christ a 
specific inspiration that he did not claim, was more 
for the exclusive benefit of political bodies than to 
advance the principle of Christianity. The distor- 
tion of words and violent discussion of doctrinal ten- 
ets which the laity are compelled to listen to in si- 
lence, is more political than religious. 

Whether it could be objected to or not on doctrinal 
ground, it will always remain an empirical privilege 
to compare the direct revelation that Christ boldly 
exemplified, with what experience is constantly teach- 
ing to each and every individual on the face of the 
earth. To obstruct education was formerly a po- 
litical measure, upon the supposition that the masses 
were dangerous to society, unless they could be com- 
pelled to feel inferior. The early holdings are sup- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 25 1 

plemented at the present time with the same object 
in view, to maintain a class division of humanity. If 
it were not true, the distortion of words, and the ex- 
travagant terminology to protect the exclusive few 
in their claim to a divine privilege to maintain an 
esoteric specialty, would not be worth the labor it 
costs. 

It is significant that Christ recognized empiricism 
and also collective bodies, upon the simple declara- 
tion of faith in God, there being no stipulation of a 
political character, other than its exclusive material 
character. No logical grounds exist for any exclu- 
sive privilege to a political rendering of the Bible, 
it rests upon a simple faith in God, and a strict pri- 
vacy of personality, that is, that God was always 
present to the individual. If this observation is not 
a sufficient proof of a direct revelation to each and 
all, none can escape the alternative of a political mo- 
tive, in thus denying to others what they freely claim 
to be in possession of themselves. 

It would be folly to expect a person to do his own 
thinking after being taught to believe that it was a 
privilege to be attached to a "superior" person, who 
had acquired a higher order than one could obtain 
by direct revelation. It is made to appear by the 
theory of a supernatural motion, that Nature, in- 
cluding experience, is transcended by the superiority 
of literal intelligence over the natural, the polity in- 
volved is naturally beyond the comprehension of a 
person previously taught to accept the belief that 
knowledge is objective, rather than subjective; and 
conceived by direct revelation. It is like a manufac- 
turer of crutches contending: that a man could walk 



252 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

better with artificial legs, and for that reason his 
natural legs should be broken. Direct revelation dis- 
proves the notion of a supernatural, whenever the 
will remains natural or unbroken. That this fact can 
be determined by an individual experience exposes 
the fallacy of '^natural law" (which has been ex- 
plained as not being a law at all) or anything natural 
being transcended by the will of man. 

That the very essence of Christianity has always 
been the recognition of individual experience, in op- 
position to political greed, it would be a poor de- 
pendence for obtaining the truth, when direct revela- 
tion so emphatically refutes it, not to notice the dis- 
tortion of words to verify a supernatural notion. If 
a person can be trained to have faith in political 
greed against the simple faith that Christ taught, 
such a person could readily believe in the notion of 
a supernatural, while he would fail to see the relative 
character of words to facts by defining the word Na- 
ture as a material substance, when experience con- 
ceives it to be Force entirely embraced in the realm 
of God. Whatever was revealed to Christ pertains 
to Him and whatever pertains to political greed is 
to greed awarded. The worship of material things 
exclusively, a spiritual miracle, would be as necessary 
as birth previous to being conscious of anything. To 
dispute the power of God would be a perjury after 
a declaration of faith. If Force resists every analytic 
effort to discover a presiding genius, it is extremely 
egotistic to pretend to explain its possibilities when 
unexpected events are being revealed to personal con- 
ception that were previously claimed to be impossible. 

If individual revelation can be proved to be a source 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 253 

of civilization, which is not the present purpose to 
dispute, an economy of method in teaching it would 
be more consistent than to continue building extrava- 
gant methods for proving that material things could 
transcend the Spiritual. If the proposition is false 
it could be more readily exposed by a short method, 
than to exist upon a long one, which would practi- 
cally admit the proposition was truer than the method 
to expose it. Whatever institution, either collective 
or individual, claiming a purpose to benefit humanity, 
while continuing to extend the distance by which 
the benefit could be reached, proves a disguised pur- 
pose, but exposes the institution to be a fraud. Since 
Goliath, man has succeeded in intoxicating his brain 
with an inflated imagination that one man can be- 
come superior to another. It is a material proposi- 
tion instituted for material gain, a new form of idola- 
try with the same end in view that pagans failed to 
reach. It is not pretended that man is materially 
equal, but without the motor power — Spirit — how 
much would material superiority amount to? David 
proved that problem to Goliath, before the Greeks 
commenced to scratch their brains into a condition 
of vitality. The evolutionists try to prove a superi- 
ority of man over man by the science of analogy, yet 
the gulf between Nature and Art is just as impass- 
able as when Goliath defied it, and the Greeks failed 
to make gods enough to bridge the gulf. Now evo- 
lution and political greed have combined to educate 
the human race to a condition of intellectual immor- 
tality and charge the expense to the "vulgar" and 
"low type" of humanity until they also become as 
visionary as their "superiors," who proclaim a pur- 



254 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

pose to materialize spirits and compel them to serve 
political greed, that ideal righteousness may prevail 
over the real, that is directly revealed to every babe 
that is born. 

Direct revelation is not dependent upon doctrines 
or politics, because it is the truth. Indirect revela- 
tion is exchangeable by literal conveyance which 
multiplies the principle without increasing its intrin- 
sic quality. Man cannot institute any system to 
teach or restrain revelation, it is experience which 
also refuses to be taught by the command of an object 
over a subject. Education, so called, is an abstract; 
when the word is used to express tuition, as such, it 
can never supersede the natural which is directly re- 
vealed, being strictly limited to material influence. 
When it can be seen by one's own light that direct 
revelation insures a Spiritual equity in common to 
all from birth to death, the field of political vagaries 
will be narrowed in exact proportion to one's courage 
to protect their own light from being blown out, that 
political greed may profit by furnishing a light from 
artificial reflection. 

Education, evolution and growth are a natural un- 
folding of a direct influence that man is ever try- 
ing to control to prevent the common people from 
seeing by their own light. The present system of 
education is a lottery which inflames the desire for 
dollars, and the encouragement that a prize is at the 
option of any one willing to sacrifice the best half 
of their lives in building ideal pictures of the future, 
only to discover that the reality was confined to the 
picture, and the expected prize was a blank. The 
contest between Nature and Art rages with greater 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 255 

fierceness as an attractive pit for youth to fall into, 
except for the direct revelation that protects the race 
from utter destruction. The evolution educator 
claims an evolution doctrine pictured in detail from 
the model of Nature, claiming evolution to be his 
own work, and exhibits it with ostentatious pride, 
declaring it to be a proof of the supernatural which 
his own egotism could be cultivated to believe, until 
Nature in her beneficent charity for all, embraces the 
illusion within her eminent domain, with pity for his 
not observing that evolution was her own. 

When did man ever build or teach higher than the 
imitation of Nature. In color, architect, and con- 
struction, man never reached her equal — the school- 
house free to all. Yet man would still continue to 
cultivate pagan idolatry to satisfy his natural desire 
to progress until becoming intoxicated with greed, 
he w^ould declare by political decree to be the dic- 
tator of Nature, and consign whatever he could 
frighten, into a state of obedience. To worship 
greed, and Christian simplicity both is a psychologi- 
cal impossibility. Institutions are just as combative as 
individuals against the order of Nature. A man could 
as well claim to order the details of his own birth 
as to pretend to order the Force of revelation which 
is the Spiritual birth and also termed experience. 
Every day is a new experience and every moment is 
a direct revelation, and also a miracle. It is the truth 
and also superhuman from which the word "super- 
natural" is counterfeited to give logical eflfect to the 
political claim of a superiority in man over man. The 
"fall" literally explained was a political scheme of the 
pagans to justify chattel slavery which was con- 



256 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

tinued by the Roman Empire which is credited as 
embracing Christianity, History is at fault, however, 
for it was Christianity that embraced the Empire, to 
the destruction of its greed and pomp. Christianity 
is a state apart from poHtical control. Its Spiritual 
character, in recognizing a common humanity, makes 
it a field of exclusion against any political scheme to 
profit by mere muscular strength over the defence- 
less weak. 

Christianity being a conception of direct revelation, 
makes it as exclusive of any abstract system of edu- 
cation as it is of any political scheme. Any one can 
see the simplicity of Christianity who has not been 
compelled or persuaded to blow their own light out. 
It has always been considered dangerous to political 
greed to recognize the Spiritual character of the 
Bible, but if it was studied with attention, it could 
be readily seen that it was more dangerous to ob- 
struct Christianity than to recognize it. While it 
cannot be taught for the reason it is directly revealed, 
the failure to recognize the principle as superceding 
any system of education that polity ever devised, it 
will be more destructive to the so-called educated, 
than those who are solely dependent upon natural 
education. Education proper on lines of economy would 
the more quickly show how futile it was to defy the 
direct revelation, in the efifort to substitute material 
greed. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 257 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



THEORY VERSUS TRUTH. 



^HEORY, Speculation, civil government, and literal 
-■■ authority are transitory terms derived from art or 
the constructive faculties of man. Contrariwise, 
and theory is parallel to that between experience and 
consciousness, are in their concrete character immu- 
table facts. The difference, therefore, between truth 
and theory is parallel to that between experince and 
the effort to transmit the actual brain impression in 
such a manner as to be understood by another — lan- 
guage pure and simple. Letters and figures were 
first used to oppress the masses of humanity and the 
teaching of them, education so-called, has been a state 
polity to the present day. The defence of this insti- 
tution is wholly confined to theory, which is the 
ground principle of literal education, technically 
termed speculative philosophy. Literal authority 
depends upon a theoretic affirmation that experience 
cannot be compelled to confirm. Hence the effort to 
control the will of a child is a state polity ; the de- 
clared purpose to make the man a good citizen, is 
dwarfed by the real purpose of so destroying his 
constructive ability as to make him subservient to 
state policy, controlled by social exclusiveness, and 
dominant commercial interests, which in turn is con- 
troled by greed. 



258 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

Man can establish systems of educations and teach 
theories that in some cases destroy the natural men- 
tality of the child, but truth and experience is not to 
be trifled with, and even the child can often discern 
between the virtue of experience and the design of 
polity. There is no period in one's life when moral 
probity is more conspicuous than in childhood. The 
pretence of protecting the child from abuse, by the 
destruction of its natural faculties, is the worst form 
of slavery that the greed of man ever invented. 

It must be recognized that knowledge and truth are 
only possible by virtue of experience. Education of 
any character would be impossible if the first princi- 
ple of revelation was not recognized as the direct 
source of knowledge and truth. State polity in seek- 
ing to control the plastic mind of youth, is a relic of 
Greek sophistry. The innocent child appears help- 
less to defend itself against the greed of commerce 
and political intrigue. It is only by the direct reve- 
lation from God to the individual person that the 
child ever knows its duty toward others. Because 
one can be misled is the best proof that personality is 
a sacred institution. Intuitive action depends upon 
contact with some external object ; if the object is a 
modern Herod, the directing power of God inspired 
by the love of the parent, is the only protection the 
child has got against the greed of state-craft, which 
the present educational system is mainly directed to 
promote. The proof of it is only possible by experi- 
ence, a principle that no literal method was ever in- 
vented capable of teaching. 

The distinction between truth and theory carefully 
studied would expose the sophistry of state-craft, 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 259 

and its strict dependence upon theory against sense- 
truth, or experience, always objected to by the disci- 
ples of the State. Organization of every character 
is a tentative experiment, but has a State or any col- 
lective society a moral right to control the will of its 
individual composition? An affirmative declaration 
will not establish a fact ; and the transitory character 
of collective humanity is a better proof of its immoral 
conduct than any literal or oral affirmation. 

The efifort to make a "literal truth" the equivalent 
of a sense-truth has engaged the intellectual thought 
in all ages, and for one single purpose, that is, to 
prove the individual dependence upon state suprem- 
acy. If continuity and the regular order of Nature 
are evidence of the truth, empiricism has been a bet- 
ter example than any system of government that 
man has tried to perpetuate. It is not for the lack 
of knowledge, why people appear ignorant, but rather 
to the unwillingness of the multitude to admit what 
they do know. Besides what appears to be a para- 
dox is often the mere elasticity of terms that really 
exposes the polity of many rather than having any 
effect upon the truth. For instance : 

A theory as such may be true, yet as a fact it is 
false. From an empirical standpoint the faculty of 
what is termed "will" is just as much a negative as 
an affirmative power. Now when submission is the prob- 
lem involved, an unwillingness to submit presents 
the highest type of natural morality, and the fact that 
the will is a direct revelation form God to the individ- 
ual, gives to personality a free title to the most sacred 
institution ever established on earth. Institutions estab- 
lished by the government of God, do not depend upon 



26o THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

theories which represent the vagaries of man who con- 
tinues to vainly try to rule every thing in sight. This 
difference represents the distinction between a spiritual 
government and a civil government. 

The child shows more wisdom in its illiterate state 
than all the theories that man ever concocted, for it 
is too innocent to know anything about dissembling 
and what it does know is sacred truth. Its relation 
to society is what theories are concerned about, while 
the babe sleeps in happy ignorance of its own impor- 
tance. In the first place theories declare that know- 
ledge is derived from the predecessors of the child, 
a falsehood that pervades the entire literature of the 
known world. Next, that the origin of language was 
at some remote period, is equally as false as the the- 
ory concerning knowledge. What has the child it- 
self got to say about the situation, for it is surely a 
party to the controversy? The babe cannot speak 
in literal terms ; for that reason the evidence it does 
present is a personal presence, unbiased by theory 
or political intrigue. It is a revelation and miracle 
both, that settle all the disputed points over previ- 
ous revelations and miraculous conceptions, that the 
ambiguity of words ever proclaimed. It is a person- 
ality independent of its predecessors representing, 
"in the beginning," in actuality, more perfect than 
any literal paraphrase that was ever uttered. The 
state, society, and the entire multitude of its predeces- 
sors can assert to their own destruction, by striving 
to perpetuate the vagary that the babe is a ward of 
society, and dependent upon the will of its predeces- 
sors, whose title to existence was of the same charac- 
ter, and the sacredness of the power to will or wont 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 261 

is the direct communion of Spirit, that constitutes 
personality ; and the only real protection society has 
against its continual effort at self destruction. The 
child in its weakness would be smothered at birth, by 
the greed of society, except for the love inspired in 
the parent. Critics, and objectors, who are chained 
to their own crystalized theories, would attempt to 
prove the child's dependence upon indirect knowledge 
by the distortion of words asserting the dependence 
of the child upon its parents. The child does not ap- 
pear upon the scene of human greed at its own re- 
quest. Would it of its own volition seek a state of 
dependency by exchanging one of independence? 
State and society, historically noted for its corrup- 
tion, represent a pitfall for the child, that accounts 
for the necessity of contact with material substance 
before a conscious revelation is possible. This is a 
truism that has no relation to ideal imagination, for 
it is only known by experience. 

The person who will deny the clear title of the babe 
to its empirical personality, betrays a dishonest pur- 
pose, unless his mental faculties have been crippled 
by theoretic training, when he is as irresponsible for 
his acts as if he were dead. To define death in defi- 
ance of the theoretic effort to destroy the will of a 
child, it is a separation of spirit from the entire group 
of material organs, as effectual as to uncouple a train 
of cars from their motive power. 

It is only the dishonest man that knows how to 
protect his greed, that science or philosophy can ap- 
peal to, for the sincere man who accepts the control- 
ing influence of theory, practically a complete sur- 
render of personal will power, is too dead to compre- 



262 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 

hend either science or philosophy. The critic has a 
remarkable fondness for displaying his mental abil- 
ity in demanding proof, or a thorough accounting for 
natural phenomena. The personal presence of the 
child, and the ostentatious presence of the critic, 
should satisfy the most critical student of biology. 
The child's own testimony refutes even the demand 
for proof, or any necessity to account for its existence. 
What better evidence could be demanded than the 
presence of the babe? Besides how can a critic de- 
mand proof of another for that of which his own pres- 
ence is evidence? 

Whatever the truth may be, it is not dependent 
upon theory or speculative philosophy. It is a self- 
asserting principle, and if any period of personal ex- 
istence can exhibit a more truthful state than that of 
the infant child, it has yet to appear, — a very narrow 
objection to what theory is pleased to call empiricism. 
It expresses a fear that government and society would 
be in danger if a natural truism should be recognized 
against the vicarious authority of literal theory. It 
is simply a bold stand of man in opposition to his 
Creator, besides an absolute denial of his own expe- 
rience. 

It is the corrupt state of society that makes the ne- 
cessity for a government. It taxes the intellectual 
faculties of all persons who are more interested in 
promoting greed than social reform. That society 
is self-destructive would be a better problem for the- 
ory to speculate upon than to expend so much energy 
in striving to break the will power of the child ; the 
very faculty that gives to humanity its superiority 
of progress. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 263 

If the young babe could speak in artificial words it 
could say : "I am in truth a creature of God, teach me 
truly the intricacies of art in the spirit of love and 
I will remain true." To its parents the child could 
say : "Teach me evil and I could become as wicked as 
my predecessors, but teach me morally, and I in re- 
turn will teach you morality, for only truth can teach 
truth, there being no literal theory pure enough to 
teach it." No person in the presence of himself — the 
presence of God — can deny the representative char- 
acter of truth and godliness in the babe without ad- 
mitting his own wickedness. Theory can proclaim 
that no person is perfect, but can it prove that the 
child is imperfect because it is ignorant of the the- 
ories of its predecessors? 

The etymologist has a perpetual task to find the 
origin of language when he neglects to observe that 
the babe proclaims it vociferously at every birth. If 
theory is more important than the truth, the corrup- 
tive character of state authority and the greed of so- 
ciety would destroy the child at birth. In the phrase- 
ology of theory it could be affirmed that law and or- 
der could not exist in the absence of government, but 
at this point theory and truth part company ; for truth 
is founded upon natural government — the govern- 
ment of God — while theory is founded upon artificial 
government protected by political duplicity. How 
to reform this corrupt state of things is to acknowl- 
edge the empirical wisdom of the child, and also the 
fact that it is the only personality perfect enough to 
be classed as reformer. Again, society is more de- 
pendent upon the child than the child is upon society, — 
theory on the side of society and truth on the side of 
the child. 



264 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



PERSONAL CONSISTENCY. 



I^HE relation between responsibility and authority 
-"• is very significant whenever any collective group is 
considered. That a product of any preconceived no- 
tion can by a succession of products ever reach a 
point by which the principle of transmission may be 
reversed until the notion supersedes itself, must be 
admitted to justify an external authority over an in- 
ner sense, which has never been proved to be other 
than individual. A conscientious educator willing 
to lay aside any political prejudice and examine facts 
strictly confined to experience, will have to delve 
deep into science and theology to justify an external 
authority over an internal priority that pre-exists in 
another. The mere defining of literal words to make 
an impossibility possible, will not hide the polity in- 
volved. Hence it must be recognized that education 
is progressive. If it is a mere passive principle to 
conserve political ends, it would be illogical and un- 
reasonable to claim for any system of education that 
its aim was active and progressive. 

If the object of education is more to preserve what 
is termed "free institutions" it must include the sci- 
ence of government, which always involves a policy 
of some character. Now if subjects or citizens of a 
nation must be taught that all their personal privi- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 265 

leges are derived from the State or some society, 
toward which they are always to remain subservient, 
the principle of responsibility is extremely vague. 
For any nation to claim authority over its integral 
parts, of which every part presents a responsibility, 
cannot be justly considered without involving moral 
obligations. Therefore if a nation holds it to be a 
moral duty to obey the command of a state, to accept 
whatever system of education or religion its political 
representatives declare, it follows that religion and 
education both must be enforced by civil authority. 

Since Christ first taught personal liberty, the rela- 
tion between Spiritual authority and political author- 
ity has been ventilated in literature and upon a mul- 
titude of battlefields, yet the relation is still far from 
harmonious. Collective bodies are only a multiplicity 
of strength, of a material character, while moral re- 
sponsibility remains strictly empirical. 

The enmity of nations in contrast with the amity 
of Christianity furnish such an example of the need 
of simplicity in matters of education, that none could 
wear the title of scholarship gracefully, who would 
advocate the teaching of a single human being to be- 
come a mere reservoir of indirect knowledge. Any 
person who would close his eyes and ears to the rec- 
ords of history and then witness the present social 
disorder, without feeling any responsibility, becomes 
a living example himself of the present extravagant 
system of education in a nation proclaimed to be free. 

Is it possible for a person to defy the natural order 
of the universe and continue to be a reasonable hu- 
man being? Because it is possible to train one per- 
son to perform like a machine would it be conclusive 



266 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

that an entire nation of people could be improved by 
discarding the natural, and don the artificial exclu- 
sively? If it is the privilege of one, it is no less that 
of another. There is responsibility somewhere for 
this wholesale defiance of direct revelation, for which 
the indirect is to be substituted in exchange. It could 
be accounted for if Nature could be proved to be so 
imperfect that its imitations are destined to transcend 
the model. An artificial reason would compare fa- 
vorably with the wooden gods of the pagans ; it would 
not be acceptable, however, to a child before its nat- 
ural faculties had been crushed by visions of future 
expectations. It would make little difference what 
intoxicates the brain so far as the effect upon the per- 
son intoxicated. It would be no disrespect to the 
principle of education for it is as natural as sunlight, 
but some human responsibility exists for the multi- 
tude of human wrecks, with no lack of literal ability, 
sadly in need however, of material stability. It 
would appear that animals have more respect for 
their direct instinct than man has for his so-called in- 
telligence. Natural conditions considered as equal, 
it points directly to abstract education as being re- 
sponsible for the situation. An intoxicated person, 
from whatever cause, could not be appealed to until 
he became restored to a normal condition. If the 
cause was an intellectual delirium, it would be 
scarcely possible that any persuasive effort would 
avail. It is not an effort at sarcasm, it is too serious a 
matter and excites pity rather than being an occasion 
for wit. 

A personal responsibility for such a misdirection 
of the common privilege of education, rests with 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 267 

those who for political reasons remain silent and thus 
admit their lack of moral courage. From the natural 
order of things no people can exist upon expectations, 
even if an entire nation could be educated to believe 
it possible. There is no beauty more beautiful than 
moral integrity, unadorned even by literal art. No 
other attraction will hide the inner sense of consist- 
ency which is strictly individual. If the will can be 
broken and crushed the victim is not responsible, and 
if rational intelligence was bestowed upon the hu- 
man, in distinction from the animal, it remains to be 
accounted for if greater privileges were rendered to 
man to enable the strong the better to prey upon 
the weak. 

There is no period in the world's history when the 
weak races were not more dependent upon natural 
resources than so-called literal knowledge. Litera- 
ture portrays the products of natural phenomena 
which are established as supreme authority ; and by 
the physical strength of a state or any collective body, 
a declared status is made and solemnly termed "law," 
which is taught to children and the defenceless, to be 
a divine command. The direct precept of the "divine 
right of Kings" has been theoretically abandoned, 
but the convenience of terminology finds other words 
to effect the same purpose. In practice the same prin- 
ciple is being taught to youth, and called education. 
It is the worst form of slavery that the human race 
ever had to contend against, for it cripples the men- 
tal faculties beyond recovery. Men who are honored 
as modern lights of educational methods, recommend 
that every moment of childhood should be utilized, 
while the brain is plastic, and able to be filled with 



268 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

precept, for fear the child would become unmanage- 
able if it should chance to discover in future years 
that it was born free. 

The "supernatural," so termed, is only another form 
of expressing the "divine rights of Kings" and King 
Greed, the modern ruler, can be just as diplomatic 
as any ancient king. Now there is no such condition 
as a "supernatural" except what is derived from the 
elasticity of words to make it appear so. The proof 
is as simple as the principle of Christianity, to any 
one having thinking faculties enough left, since being 
broken to the modern system of education. The 
touch of Spirit with material things is strictly an indi- 
vidual event, which is just as applicable to a leaf, 
flower, or blade of grass, as to a human person. It is 
not necessary for any one to believe it, but to disbe- 
lieve it, by declaration, would be a denial of one's 
own experience. If it was a mere theory expressed in 
literal words, it could be disputed by the same literal 
process in proportion to the mental ability to distort 
words. But a truth is not a theory, neither is expe- 
rience or any sense directly bestowed upon individual 
man. To classify the union of Spirit and matter, by 
calling the result a human being, and then embraced 
it in the category of what is termed Nature, reveals 
the importance of maintaining a theory of a supernat- 
ural or something claimed to be unknowable. 

It is this neglect in modem education that sug- 
gests the polity of disguising such an important fea- 
ture as that which relates to a so-called "supernat- 
ural." It introduces the greatest complexity of 
words to explain its consistency. The general spirit 
of the Bible does not justify the assumption, without 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 269 

treating the book as a dependent upon interpreta- 
tions of some collective organization. It would ex- 
clude an individual interpretation, or any purpose of 
reading it other than the merest formality. It is 
equally true in the interpretation of Nature. If an 
individual is forbidden to believe his own experience, 
by some external authority, that threatens immediate 
vengeance or future distraction, the political neces- 
sity of maintaining a theory of the "supernatural" 
supplies a motive. If any objection could be offered 
to the treatment of education and religion collectively, 
a careful study of history would be the best recourse 
for such an objector rather than criticising the person- 
ality of another, who could not be forced to the same 
conclusion. 

The ability to distort words and then call it knowl- 
edge of education to accomplish a particular end, 
illustrates the effort to delegate the within spirit, 
which constitutes the personality of every person, to 
some mystical spirit of a higher order externally lo- 
cated. Thus Nature, no less than the eternal Spirit, 
by reason of its being admitted in words to be a phe- 
nomenon, is declared to be transcended by a super- 
phenomenon and termed "supernatural." If literal 
education is designed to "uplift" the human race, the 
most pressing need is a vocabulary of words that 
means the same thing upon all occasions. It is this 
feature that enables polity to appear in such a vari- 
ety of disguises ; besides, after a child becomes thor- 
oughly schooled to the present system of etymology, 
no political system would need feel alarmed about the 
future. A negro child of the lowest type, or a white 
child termed "white-trash" at the South would be 



270 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

civilized with less difficulty than a "finished" product 
of the modern school system in the absence of prac- 
tical experience. It is with no reflection upon edu- 
cation as such, but rather to show that a strict belief 
in the degradation of Nature to a false position for 
the sole purpose of maintaining a commanding au- 
thority of one man over another, is more political 
than moral. If Nature is believed to be a combina- 
tion of Spirit and matter, it could be reasonably held 
that the Spirit was of a higher importance than the 
material, but if the combination is necessary to form 
a union termed "nature" it would also be necessary to 
agree with the pagans in their belief in a plurality of 
spirits. 

Contrariwise, if Nature is a mere passive substance 
acted upon, the action must be attributed to the one- 
ness of God. There is no escape in reason to either 
declare for a one God, or accept the alternative of a 
supernatural with a multiplicity of gods. The politi- 
cal purpose is more apparent when it concerns a liv- 
ing personality, which is revealed directly to the indi- 
vidual and designated as experience. The necessity of 
transcending experience to satisfy political greed, has 
been the point of dispute with philosophers and the- 
ologians since thoughts were first signified in words. 
Since secular education was introduced to contend 
with the religious education of the ancients, the pro- 
tection of the state was equally concerned in any 
thing educational. A contempt for Nature was the 
ground principle of human authority as organized 
in any considerable body, hence it is no less impor- 
tant to control modern secular education than it was 
for the ancients to control what was termed religious. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 27 1 

The fact that natural education could not be directly 
controlled, the political ingenuity of the dominant 
class has ever tried to maintain a theocracy, in defi- 
ance of natural education. Practically a defiance of 
God, unless Nature could be degraded theoretically 
to give the appearance that the individual was de- 
pendent upon external influences for everything. The 
supernatural therefore, whether a theory or the truth, 
is a positive necessity to any institution striving to 
maintain theocratic principles. 

The individual, therefore, cannot escape a personal 
responsibility, which is also all the liberty he, has got 
to choose between Nature and a theocracy founded 
upon the supernatural. All literature that defends 
theocracy will be found to cling tenaciously to the 
supernatural, for the reason that ethical authority, or 
state authority, claims a moral right to preside over 
education and religion. But what does not depend 
upon theocracy, is the individual choice between good 
and evil ; also what constitutes moral obligation, and 
what is of the greatest importance to decide whether 
Nature supersedes man's effort, or his effort can su- 
persede Nature ; still further, if the touch of Spirit, 
combined with organic substance, constitutes an indi- 
viduality, who but the individual can determine for 
himself whether he is dependent or independent of 
external authority? 

Hence the responsibility being equally as individ- 
ual as the action of the will, what except pagan my- 
thology, and modern theocracy, has the notion of a 
supernatural got to stand upon? An objector to this 
simple proposition should be able to prove in equity by 
what moral right can any external authority enforce 



2^2 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

an act upon an individual subject, and also claim the 
subject to be responsible for the consequence of the 
act. This inconsistency is of daily occurrence among 
the so-called educated, for after a person has com- 
pletely surrendered to external influence, the question 
of responsibility would be a problem too deep for 
comprehension. Personal sacredness, with moral 
courage enough to assert it, would expose the motive 
for maintaining the theory of a supernatural, and con- 
tinuing to teach it to confiding children, when there 
is no moral ground in equity for teaching such a 
myth. 

The responsibility for moral rectitude and the edu- 
cation of the young, is an individual proposition. 
From a material standpoint greed and selfishness will 
always claim that the inner man is but a servant of 
his surroundings. The authority of the prevailing lit- 
erature substantiates the claim, but the direct ques- 
tion for the individual to determine from his own ex- 
perience, is whether he believes or only professes to 
believe, that civil government has never risen above 
the practice of a theocracy, regardless of its precepts 
or what the form of governments may be named. 
The responsibility can be charged to the indifference 
of the people, but when the State controls education, 
and subsidizes any institution that calls itself relig- 
ious, moral courage will have to depend entirely upon 
direct revelation and the natural order of things. 

Man will continue to "fall" until he learns by ex- 
perience, and from the recorded records, of the mis- 
takes of his predecessors, that individual personality 
is a more sacred institution than collective body 
that was ever organized on earth. He is individually 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 2/3 

pvinished by civil authority and more severely pun- 
ished if he fails to recognize Spiritual authority di- 
rectly revealed, against the external pretension of 
teaching internal responsibility for external author- 
ity. The limit of collective bodies is the control of 
material conditions, and the effort of nations to regu- 
late spiritual affairs has always failed. It should 
teach the individual more than he can learn in books, 
that he is personally responsible for every neglect in 
disobeying direct spiritual command, which is im- 
possible to be conveyed literally ; the literal being 
confined to material things. Christ taught the same 
principle, the Bible records it, and to a materialist 
reading it spiritually, it would read like a new book. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



CHRISTIANITY. 



WORDS are inadequate to express Christianity. It is 
the supremest sentiment of experience — sense — 
emotion — and every condition of life that is self-reveal- 
ing, sealing itself within its incarnate surroundings. It 
can neither be deducted from or inducted to. While 
it effects material things it is so supremely above 
them that it is not effected by them. It repels doc- 
trines as it does material things, and therein it effects 
all abstract education. The luster of spiritual Chris- 
tianity is hidden by pagan literature, the mere husk of 
generic Spirit. The effort to teach Christianity by em- 



274 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

bracing pagan methods of pretending to teach knowl- 
edge, is more obstructive than comprehensive, for 
what is true is indivisible and unteachable. 

The difference between the spiritual and material 
universe is analogous to the natural and artificial, 
the former spiritual, the latter figurative and literal. 
In the absence of this distinction, combative doctrines 
are the alternative. Christianity is so strictly spir- 
itual that the effort to teach it results in doctrinal dis- 
putes confined to material things. To understand it, 
the difference between preaching and teaching is im- 
portant, the former is an appeal to the innate moral 
sense, while the latter is a defiance of such sense, in 
proportion to the privilege of the will to literally exalt 
things above the spiritual — the visible above the in- 
visible. It gave to letters an appearance of deity that 
elevated the learned in letters above the unlearned. 
It suggested the making of gods to awe the multi- 
tude ; it introduced the principle of literal teaching to 
compel by the sense of fear a strict obedience to lit- 
eral superiority. It was the very essence of heathen 
religion to worship artificial accomplishments. Pre- 
vious to Socrates it was literally taught that souls 
could be artificially made and bestowed by the state 
upon whoever was considered worthy of possessing 
one. To the extent, therefore, of teaching material 
relations to spiritual notions, teaching is unchristian 
and also immoral, for the reason that whatever is 
false teaching in a broad sense, is immoral. That is, 
if morality is truth, whatever is false is immoral. 

The effort to teach Christianity is either true or 
false, and the most remarkable feature is its empiri- 
cal character making it strictly individual to deter- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 2/5 

mine whether it was true or false. A careful study of 
the situation from a logical standpoint would result 
in a conclusion that any attempt to teach religion lit- 
erally would be false to the very essence of Christian- 
ity. To teach religion is paganism, and it would be 
idolatry, however beautiful the Christian label might 
be externally decorated. 

Not to recognize the universal character of Chris- 
tianity would be a denial of the preaching of Christ. 
To observe the difiference between teaching and 
preaching, it would also show the difference between 
idolatry and Christianity. The word "teacher" ap- 
plied to Christ would be a contradiction to the most 
essential feature of his preaching. It would make 
Christianity an improved paganism to treat it as a 
doctrine, scheme, or notion depending upon instruc- 
tion. 

The attempt to nationalize Christianity has been a 
continual failure, for the reason that no notion has 
ever existed with the theoretic authority politically 
proclaimed for it. Nationality can never rise above 
material things, because it is dependent upon senti- 
ent units, which establishes a limit of control, by the 
embracing of methods, doctrines, and schemes ; more 
properly for defence, but nations grow aggressive as 
they grow strong, with an inclination to overreach 
the source of their power. Doctrines could only be 
submitted to the literally learned for discussion in 
such esoteric terms, so unintelligible to the unlearned, 
that the introduction of Christianity into a pagan na- 
tion was scarcely more than a change of name. The 
theocratic philosophy of the pagans was supposed by 
the learned to be an infallible principle ; when opposed 



276 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

by a learned man, it wovild be treated with ridicule, 
rather than attention. 

Christianity as a spiritual principle is a fundamen- 
tal truth apart from organical association, it does not 
pertain to abstract society, or any collective body of 
a material character, which has always proved itself 
to be militant. According to its influence exempli- 
fied by Christ, it never had a warfaring mission. It 
is the spiritual Church that Christianity illuminates, 
and as such, it transcends anything material, as much 
so as the breath of life transcends the corporal body. 
It was founded upon a rock and dedicated to univer- 
sal humanity, no less firmly than the empirical struc- 
ture of every unit of humanity. It was not entailed 
by any command other than the recognition of the 
one God, so simple that natural language, also a com- 
mon inheritance, was a sufficient medium of under- 
standing it. No doctrine, scheme, or organization 
was made requisite, the simple "go preach the Gos- 
pel" embraced the entire principle of Christianity. 

It would be difficult in reason to claim any national 
title to Christianity, when the learned of all nations 
were more ready to ridicule the principle than to seri- 
ously investigate it. At the time of the crucifixion 
it did not command the respect the Salvation Army 
does at the present day. It is idle, therefore, to at- 
tribute any national importance to the primitive con- 
ception of Christianity ; it was too insignificant to ap- 
ply the word "Propaganda" to it. This simple prin- 
ciple could well be studied with great care, before 
Christianity became supplemented with doctrines, 
tenets, decrees, and a great variety of pagan words, to 
consider whether it could be embraced within the folds 
of pagan philosophy. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. ^^J 

As a theological subject Christianity has been hon- 
ored with a literal discussion that no other subject 
ever obtained, the reason for which is as simple as the 
principle itself. It seriously interfered with the sub- 
jugation of the common people, it was rather from 
a political than a moral standpoint that Christianity 
was opposed. Christians, therefore, feeling the per- 
sonal liberty that was so courageously preached to 
them, were forced to organize in self defence. It de- 
veloped into a collective body that was forced to- 
gether from the necessity of hiding to escape being 
persecuted. 

Personal liberty, as a sentiment even, has never 
been popular with the literally learned to the present 
day, but the stronghold of paganism was entered by 
Christians equally as learned as the pagans, when the 
relation of personal liberty to science and knowledge 
was the issue rather than any regard for humanity. 
To say that the learned were sincere in their defence 
of pagan learning would raise the question, why were 
they disturbed by such a weak parade of learning that 
the Christians could command. It was a self convic- 
tion of their own iniquity. The efifort to teach Chris- 
tianity as a religion for the poor and illiterate was 
first suggested as a means to obtain more obedient 
service, for it was impossible to convince a learned 
man that spiritual communication was strictly con- 
fined to the individual, regardless of literal ability. 
It was, however, the very essence of Christianity, 
which accounted for its silent growth, while the 
learned were treating it as a doctrine to be analyzed 
by literal instruments. It was doctrines, therefore, 
that were taught in the name of Christianity, even to 



2/8 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

the extent of compulsion. The attempt to teach 
Christianity is absurd when it was a direct revelation 
as disconnected with letters as a rose is from its 
name. The common people were willing to be Chris- 
tians in accord with the spiritual revelation, but to 
be compelled to profess a doctrine that was taught to 
them, it was paganism, even if the varnish was called 
Christian. It would appear from the literature of the 
present age, that the empirical character of Chris- 
tianity was but vaguely comprehended. The relaxa- 
tion of state authority in demanding a personal dec- 
laration of religious doctrine is a recognition of the 
personal right to worship God without the permis- 
sion of external authority. Thus personal liberty has 
marked the growth of Christianity from its concep- 
tion, since which period civilization has advanced in 
proportion to Christian learning overcoming that of 
the pagans. 

It was a scholastic dispute of which the simple- 
minded Christian has no comprehension. The "new 
learning," however, was just as greedy as the old, so 
far as the common people were concerned. A com- 
mon privilege of education was treated with the same 
scorn as natural Christianity. Every scholar that 
suggested popular education became a martyr to 
statecraft. It teaches more than science or philoso- 
phy, seeking to discover facts, when scholastic con- 
duct was admitting the facts that philosophers were 
trying to hide. When two nations war against each 
other, each claiming to be a theocracy, it proves that 
something besides the teaching of Christianity guides 
them. The fact that theocracy was claimed by each, 
would suggest a conclusion that the teaching of any- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 279 

thing that encouraged personal freedom was heresy. 
It is more conclusive when it is observed that both 
nations might claim to be Christianized and theo- 
cratic both. This fact by reason of the impossibility 
of two things occupying the same place, it would ap- 
pear more probable that no nation has ever existed 
that could consistently be called, either a theocracy 
or a Christian nation. A careful study of history 
should appeal to the present school teacher who is 
unbiased by political interests, for no better proof 
can be advanced than history to establish the em- 
pirical character of Christianity. The personal re- 
sponsibility of a school teacher is very great, when 
political greed clings like a parasite to every nation 
of the earth. There is no possible escape from the 
choice of empirical Christianity or political greed. 

The schism in religious congregations and also the 
scholastic disputes over science and theology, relate 
to methods of instruction ; it has nothing whatever 
to do with Christianity unless it is to establish a hos- 
pital for people who have had their intellectual facul- 
ties crippled. A person in a normal condition scarcely 
needs to be instructed in what pertains to personal 
liberty, when he has a clear title to life, besides being 
in the possession of physical organs that furnish 
the only method of communication with Spirit, that 
experience determines. The advent of Christ and re- 
vealed religion corroborates the individual character 
of Christianity. Upon what ground therefore can a 
theocratic congregation of people exist? Christ 
preached personal liberty. The American revolution 
broke the militant power of theocracy and established 
a nation upon the same principle of personal liberty. 



28o THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

with nothing- but political greed to interpose which 
bids fair to be equally as self-destructive as theoc- 
racy. If more proof of empirical Christianity is 
needed it can be found in religious schisms and schol- 
astic disputes. There would not be any fuel for such 
disputes if they did not tacitly admit personal liberty 
by the strenuous effort to prevent it. There would 
not have been any slavery if the slaves had not been 
willing to submit to it. It is also recorded, that 
American Indians deliberately committed suicide 
rather than surrender their freedom. Therefore, if 
the spiritual title to personal liberty is not worth de- 
fending, it is not worth having. History furnishes 
multitudes of examples to verify this statement. 

A fastidious person could amuse himself by exam- 
ining circumstances to contradict facts, but spiritual 
facts will supersede material theories after all the cir- 
cumstances are exhausted. The relation of education 
to Christianity is the same relation as religion bears 
to morality, or truth to that which is false. Educa- 
tion does not imply sanctification, for that reason it 
is a doubtful proposition in the absence of moral rec- 
titude. The conduct of some people who give evi- 
dence of being educated furnishes another proof of 
personal liberty, and also reflects the need for moral 
education, as a foundation for every class of educa- 
tion. Not such superficial morality that depends 
upon polity or status, but that which is founded upon 
spiritual truth directly revealed. It is more simple 
to determine the truth than it is to hide it; for that 
reason a very young child could be readily taught the 
difference between the truth and a theory. 

An empirical position would be very inconsistent 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 281 

as a promoter of a collective organization, or a new 
reform system. The present social disorder is not 
occasioned by collective bodies, for the privilege of 
one association to act against another, makes them 
both practically individual. It is a spiritual individ- 
uality that all collective bodies are composed of, and 
the misleading literature, wholly or in part, derived 
from the pagans depends upon individual effort to an- 
nihilate. What has the relation of an obsolete pagan 
state to do with an American state founded upon per- 
sonal liberty, or so declared in purpose? It is only 
necessary to give attention to public orations to ob- 
serve the influence of Greek literature upon the status 
of educational systems and methods. A state assum- 
ing to be an instructor of youth in accord with pagan 
prerogatives is practically laying the foundation of 
revolution, for the American people will never sub- 
mit cheerfully to a theocratic form of government. 
It is idle to talk about public opinion and the will of 
the people, when the grip of greed is already in posses- 
sion of the government, and even the public schools 
are politically controlled, which are a mere supple- 
ment to commercialism. 

The test of educational honesty is as simple as the 
system could also be conducted, for where a prefer- 
ence for extravagance is claimed, a political motive is 
also apparent. It would be too voluminous to specify 
the defects in educational systems. It is the general 
immoral results that are more impressive than words, 
which the political mantle will not be able to hide 
continually. An economy in the teaching of the Eng- 
lish language would dispense with a good many pa- 
gan relics. The natural sense of the individual can 



282 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

be appealed to before the will is broken, after which 
it becomes an uncertain problem. Machine perfec- 
tion does not apply to a human being, for the auton- 
omy of man will not permit of machine perfection. 
Nature is constantly supplying a model for conduct 
that pagan text books will never compete with suc- 
cessfully. 

A commercial traffic in wickedness will defend it- 
self on the ground of personal liberty, which would 
establish a confusion of activity often referred to in 
the science of sociology. But any defence of a collec- 
tive system or any scientific doctrine will be biased by 
a specific end in view, therefore, whatever applies to 
the immutability of spiritual or natural activity is nec- 
essarily empirical even if it is an integral part of a spe- 
cific society. In observing society as a moral influ- 
ence it should be noted that it is just as possible for 
it to be immoral as for an individual. The point is, 
society depends upon its integral parts ; it is impos- 
sible, therefore, for society to command a single part 
in the possession of an individual will. Society can 
punish, execute, and even murder any of its parts, 
yet the fact would remain that the empirical part 
would be nearer to God from the immutable reason 
that the exclusive communion with Spirit is always 
individual. 

The empirical character of Christianity is its very 
life. It resists every attempt to nationalize it, and 
also refuses to be governed by any specific organiza- 
tion, which the Crucifixion also exemplified. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 283 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 



pHURCH government is as distinct from the spiritual 
^ Church, as the material of which meeting houses are 
built is distinct from the activity of Nature that sup- 
plied the material. "Consecration" is a term derived 
from the pagans ; it is doubtless very misleading, for it 
has no sacred significance at the present time, unless a 
person chooses to believe it; but it will not embrace a 
privilege of persecution toward those who choose to dis- 
believe it. Shorn of its pagan significance it is at present 
a mere figure of speech, for the consecration of wood in 
its strict sense, would be the fundamental principle. 
Since the advent of Christianity, political religion grows 
more and more unpopular. 

It is not the purpose here to enter into a theological 
controversy, for the empirical personality of a human 
being permits of an individual reading and also interpret- 
ing of the Scriptures. The Founders of Christianity 
preached a universal privilege of salvation, with ex- 
tremely simple conditions. It was in no wise connected 
with collective organization, leaving individuals account- 
able to the one God. If the word "church" has any sig- 
nificance at all in relation to Christianity, it is therefore 
as invisible as experience, or any inner sense exclusively 
individual, the recognition of personal liberty that could 



284 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

not be controverted in any language, either written or 
oral. 

In connection with "preaching the gospel," the neces- 
sity of a government as a protection against aggression 
and persecution was a natural sequence. It did not sig- 
nify a Church government, as such was for the purpose 
of proselyting, or aggression, for to make an effort to 
compel a person to be a Christian was not only impos- 
sible, but contrary to the example of Christ to even at- 
tempt it. 

Regardless of a government assuming to be aggressive, 
and instructive, its genesis was for the purpose of protec- 
tion. To regard it as a system of protection, irrespective 
of theocratic proclivities, it could readily be seen that it 
had no authority to supplement the primitive simplicity 
of the early Christian Church. As a protection to collec- 
tive organizations, seeking to worship God, the limit of 
Church government would have been reached. The ag- 
gregation of power, however, proved that Church offi- 
cials could become victims of aggrandizement, equally as 
keen for material profit, as any political official. This es- 
tablished a Church militant, its material visibility was 
proved by its aggressive effort to conquer the world by 
force of arms. 

It may have been instigated by state-craft and the 
ability of the learned to distort words, it certainly estab- 
lished a visible Church claiming all the prerogatives of 
the invisible. The spiritual Church, however, proved 
itself to be above state-craft, or Church government, to 
strictly replace the invisible Church by one that was vis- 
ible. History is filled with the record of how the learned 
and greedy contended for a visible Church to replace the 
invisible, and if the "new learning" and war, could have 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 285 

conquered the simple faith of the common people, the 
term "Christian Church" would have been expunged 
from literature. 

To preach the gospel and worship God did not involve 
a government; for that reason the introduction of a col- 
lective organization, bearing the name of Church, it was 
visible by virtue of the government. In a strict sense, 
therefore, it was the government which required human, 
official and political management that was visible. The 
Gospels were the sayings of Jesus Christ — the Truth. 
The truth as a sense conviction — experience — it could 
only be symbolized by literal words. Hence if the word 
"Church" was employed to represent the Gospels it 
should properly partake of the invisible character of 
whatever Christ's sayings were. If there were only 
written words to preserve the spiritual character of the 
Gospels, they would have been worn out by controversy 
previous to this late day. It is not the purpose here to 
prove that literal words can be distorted. The one word 
embracing the mission of Christ, is Christianity, and 
when the truth is as invisible as sense and experience, a 
Church or Church government is just as dependent upon 
the essence of Christianity as an individual. It is the 
same personal liberty, that Christ exemplified that made 
the Church possible. All varieties of governments are 
embued with temporal life in proportion to followers 
willing to defend them. The principle of Christianity is 
above any institution that man can establish. It is self- 
protective because it is an individual revelation. A gov- 
ernment will continue to exist to protect this principle. 
The name of a collective body of people cannot change 
the character of its individual construction. Govern- 
ments have always failed to obtain good results in pro- 



286 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

portion to their indifference to protect personal liberty in 
accord with the preaching of Christ. 

A Church government is no exception, whether it is 
over a large or small congregation. The essential fea- 
ture is to recognize man, individually, in touch with 
God, which no theology or science has ever proved to 
the contrary. 

The effort to maintain specific organizations by the 
presumption of an immediate direction of God is too pre- 
posterous for anyone to claim who is in possession of his 
reason. To treat it as an obsolete dogma merely obscures 
the resposibility of Church government, or any govern- 
ment assuming the authority as if they were an acknowl- 
edged theocracy. History proves theocratic governments 
to have been maintained for the purpose of oppression, 
while a positive proof is afforded every individual who 
can sense his own existence, that he is immediately in 
touch with Spirit. Social obligations are equally in- 
volved in the pretended divine authority of government, 
or to act in accord with such pretensions. Moral obliga- 
tions are as directly revealed as the sense of fear, and 
when collective bodies prove by their own conduct, that 
the force of numbers insures an immunity from moral 
duty, it is not strange that the individual will be influ- 
enced by their example. 

It could be observed that Church government appears 
at a cross purpose, when moral duty and personal con- 
venience are concerned. This, added to the dual charac- 
ter of written words, makes it laborious to search out a 
real thought, which frequently obscures the truth itself. 
Assuming a government to be exclusively confined to 
protection, it would be a usurpation to employ its militant 
strength to enforce instruction, that was more a conve- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 28/ 

nience to maintain a class division of society than to pro- 
mote moral integrity. 

The ingrafting of polity with human protection, dis- 
guised by moral pretensions, can only be accounted for as 
a necessary pitfall analagous to the primitive fall. Pol- 
ity is as opposite to moral duty as to justify an authority 
of government in assuming an instructive attitude, and 
by the distortion of words prove that instruction was a 
feature of protection. It would be analogous to compel- 
ling a child to fall, because it was the natural method 
necessary to the revelation of intelligence. Instruction 
governed by political design and that prompted by the 
natural sense of love, is an extreme opposite, as current 
results prove. To be explicit : If the protection of a child 
demanded the destruction of its natural faculties, its suc- 
cess would not justify the means, which would be paral- 
lel to a parent murdering its offspring to preserve it from 
a possible evil. The relation of instruction to protection 
is a very important feature of Church government, if 
polity could be laid aside while the subject was being 
considered. The results of instruction can only be ob- 
served in the object; for a subject thoroughly instructed 
has its intelligence crowded into a small circle, and so 
thoroughly sealed up, that instruction would not be a 
success if the subject could comprehend anything out- 
side of its small circle of instruction. 

The average government official is usually tickled with 
his own importance ; Church government being no ex- 
ception. It can also be charged to human weakness, but 
spiritual principles are above such weakness, and freely 
admitted by preachers who are more devoted to moral 
obligations than political convenience. Hence the polity 
embraced in Church government is equally as immoral 



288 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

as it would be in the individual. It is even more so with 
any collective body that appropriates a spiritual principle 
for a personal and material convenience. 

Political supremacy has always depended upon mystics, 
superstition, and military enforcement; for that reason, 
the common people were instructed to believe that gov- 
ernments were directed by a mysterious power which, as 
a general principle it is true, but as an abstract it is false 
to reason, and tacitly admitted by the average teacher, 
but polity asserts itself to be a supernatural principle, 
while in reality it is the attraction that activity depends 
upon, for the spiritual character of Nature will not per- 
mit itself to be superseded by a mere terminology that is 
the limit of polity to control. The effort to limit human 
thought by a system of government seeking to control the 
commerce of ideas, by confining the definition of words 
to statute law for the proclaimed purpose of conserving 
society, would destroy the sacredness of intelligence. 

The mere fiat of a government to maintain a theocratic 
authority can only be accomplished by an etymology of 
words, mere symbols of thought. Nature cannot be in- 
cluded or compelled to surrender its spiritual authority 
for the convenience of a body of men proclaiming them- 
selves to be a government. Nature is certainly a super- 
government, in comparison to any visible form that tem- 
poral society has ever been able to develop. It is not 
necessary to deny or affirm a super-power over Nature, 
for experience and all written records prove conclusively 
that no political government has ever contended success- 
fully against the command of Nature. So far as any 
moral benefit has accrued from a political government, 
the desecration of omnipotent Spirit — by calling it nature, 
has never superseded the forgery with any success. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 289 

Neither has the consecration of written words by govern- 
ment fiat ever crystalHzed them sufficiently to make it a 
permanent heresy to dispute them. 

The Church of God is above any symbol by which it 
may be represented. A government is equally as subor- 
dinate as the individual ; it is an office apart from spiritual 
authority. The effort to involve a civil government with 
a spiritual government established a principle of Church 
and State. It was a pagan invention which was tenta- 
tively experimented with by the Roman Empire, and 
more or less copied by political institutions ever since. 
It is to the credit of prominent churchmen who have 
maintained the invisible, or spiritual character of the 
Church, and always defended it with success against any 
political effort to incorporate it, permanently, with state 
authority : It is the one power that polity has never been 
able to dethrone. It can distort words, crucify, crush, 
decree, frighten, command, and ostracize anyone who 
dares to dispute a decree of an established custom, but 
the personal liberty involved in Christianity is above tem- 
poral government or transitory laws. 

A spiritual Church is governed by spiritual methods 
as invisible as Spirit itself. Such a Church has no need 
for a militant or political government, with the possible 
exception of a protection against persecution. The con- 
tention between a political government and a Spiritual 
government caused all the literal controversy that his- 
tory is burdened with. The effort of the Church (Chris- 
tianity) to assume a political government transferred it 
into a "Church militant," when dogmatics tried to estab- 
lish a visible Church. It was the darkest period of 
Church history, when, to embrace politics, it was related 
more to Church government than to the invisible Church. 



290 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

There was nothing to protect other than the personal 
adherents of Christianity, for Christianity as an invisible 
Church would be necessarily spiritual and perfectly able 
to protect itself, which the circumstances appeared to 
prove. It could scarcely be overlooked that a govern- 
ment demanded a policy which introduced dogmatics, and 
doctrines which entailed a penalty for the disobedience of 
proscribed forms, entirely foreign to the primitive 
Church. An honest man could not be such and contend 
for a Church government which was added by the polity 
of man, to correct an apparent error of Christ that re- 
cjuired a posterior revelation. 

There was no provision for a militant protection of the 
Gospels, and the fact that Christianity embraced the Ro- 
man Empire, rather than, as is frequently claimed, that 
the Empire embraced Christianity, which, if it were a 
fact, the survival of Christianity proves that the state pro- 
tection was not needed. A careful study of dogmatic con- 
troversy would suggest that polity and learning was as 
unnecessary to Christianity as the Roman Empire was. 
A man embued with a conviction that he was apotheo- 
sized from a surfeit of learning, could establish any kind 
of dogmatic doctrines, and interpret the Scriptures with 
a display of learning sufficient to gain a multitude of fol- 
lowers, but it would not be Christianity, because he had 
a following. If mere phraseology can embellish invisible 
Spirit and give it material attributes, it could overthrow 
Christianity and reinstate paganism. 

It is no reflection upon learning or scholarship to deny 
to it the power of command over invisible Spirit, for 
morality and Christianity are no more involved with 
learning than Church government is with civil govern- 
ment. If it were kindly considered separate from State 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 29I 

authority, Christianity would continue to civiHze society 
and overcome the obstruction of poHty, which it has suc- 
cessfully done, since it was first conceived. 

The factious disputes of the learned are a supposition 
that Christianity depends upon literal learning. It would 
appear, however, that the divorce of State and religion 
inaugurated by American independence, would reflect a 
rebuke to theology and science both. That is, it reflects 
upon intelligence itself, to contend against the very es- 
sence of Christianity and also the declared purpose of the 
American revolution. It is more discredit to the liter- 
ally learned that political greed can substitute a state 
authority over the common people in like manner as state 
religion did in older nations. When the same political 
end is being sought by methods of education that state 
religion had in view, it is neither a Christian or moral 
purpose, however much it may be proclaimed. That 
Christianity has been protected by the common people, is 
a too prominent feature of its history to be successfully 
disputed. Christianity has proved itself to be a natural 
religion by its own development, against the combined 
effort of pagan learning to disprove it. If that is ad- 
mitted, which the American revolution demonstrated 
also, how can an honest man believe that state education 
will accomplish what a state religion failed to do; when 
Christians had nothing but the sky, earth, and caves to 
hide in, to claim it to be a religion of learning, would be 
as false as to dispute the omnipotence of God. 

That education and religion are natural is the matter 
in hand, and if it can be objected to, it has certainly made 
a better showing than political religion, allowing even 
there is a purpose for good, in evil itself. The present 
educational system proclaims itself to be an autocracy 



292 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

more powerful than any theocracy ever having had a 
previous existence. Its Hvely extravagance bids fair to 
destroy itself in less time than previous systems of gov- 
ernments, which were more deliberate in their self de- 
struction. Christ's claim to a vicarious inspiration need 
not be disputed or affirmed, to comprehend the invisible 
character of Spirit, which is of more importance to the 
individual than all the dogmatics, and counter apolo- 
getics that literature contains. 

The relation of signs which are visible, to principles 
that are invisible has always been a state policy to with- 
hold from the public. To dilate upon literal authority 
is the ground principle of State supervision over educa- 
tion. It is to the purpose, to observe that morality is 
treated secondary to the importance of a secular educa- 
tion, and when the defect in etymology is also consid- 
ered, it involves the relation of Nature to Art, analogous 
to Christianity and paganism, God's government, or 
man's government. It presents a proposition that every 
human being is concerned with ; to determine whether a 
visible policy is as honest, as an invisible principle in- 
volved in life itself revealed directly to every human 
being. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 293 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



MORAL RECTITUDE. 



T N the absence of moral senses it could not be substi- 
tuted by the art of man, in like manner to that of a 
wooden leg or a glass eye. It should be admitted with- 
out controversy that no moral code of literal signs could 
touch the organ of intellect and supply what would other- 
wise be a natural deficiency. If a person's thinking fac- 
ulties could be stopped at a point of moral rectitude, the 
same as the hands of a watch could be stopped with the 
supposition that it stopped time also, it would suggest 
emulation rather than a fault. 

It is a point to be grateful for that the sentient faculty 
is an individual circumstance that is personal property, 
even if rulers, codes of law, and legislatures sit firmly 
upon established prerogatives, that an empirical subject 
is dependent upon some visible object of authority for 
the common good. If it is more important to preserve 
the prerogatives of the past, which is not recorded as re- 
markable for moral rectitude, than to give attention to 
the immorality of the present, the present educational sys- 
tem is well adapted to the conservation of the past. 

To shift the moral obligations upon an invisible gov- 
ernment and continue to use the implements of learning 
to illuminate material desires, assumes the immunity of 
the learned. To use a natural privilege of education to 
establish a code of morality, that consigns the primitive 



294 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

source to a condition of immorality to the extent that 
written words can accomplish it, is the very essence of 
pagan philosophy. It is not a reasonable proposition 
that pagan literature so laboriously constructed could be 
counteracted in a day. Besides it could be recognized 
now as a necessity to the march of human progress ; and 
while the present could emulate the virtues of the pagan, 
it would appear unnecessary to embrace their vices also. 

Moral codes have been convenient instruments to 
maintain a supremacy of the learned over the unlearned. 
It is this feature of morality that effects educational sys- 
tems. The temporal character of all literal efforts 
should be carefully studied before the sacred character 
of personal liberty was surrendered at the demand of 
another, by reason of authority based upon literal form 
contending with spiritual reality. 

It seems to be taken for granted by the average writ- 
ers upon the subject of moral ethics, that it is confined to 
literal mediation, for to admit that an illiterate person, or, 
to be more explicit, a strictly natural man, had any moral 
conception, it would be a sacrilege under the present 
lines of education. What appears paradoxical between 
learning and morality is hidden by the policy of the state, 
in supervising secular education with the same vigor as 
religious education was pursued in the dark ages. Re- 
ligion accepted as a doctrine, requiring literal mediation 
to attain is practically seeking by secular education to 
cover moral requirements. 

That is, modern learning is accepted as morality by 
itself, which is the better able to comprehend the intrica- 
cies of religion. The prospects of material reward and 
a life of luxurious leisure is a temptation so brilliant that 
moral rectitude in its simplicity is viewed with contempt. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 295 

When the multitude is preserved in defiance of the 
learned, in cultivating a combination of greed and super- 
ficial religion, it should at least suggest to the thinking 
person that natural morality was the most prominent fac- 
tor in the march of progress. It presents a strange ano- 
maly to follow the same course of learning that the 
pagans pursued to oppose Christianity, with a declared 
purpose now to promote it. The results prove from a 
moral standpoint, that there is no difference in teaching 
to the food producers, that it was a divine institution for 
the lesser learned to serve their superiors. It did not 
prove so with the institution of chattel slavery. The 
principle of moral rectitude does not change, whether 
modern learning recognizes the fact or not. 

The reason literal education presents such a complex 
difiiculty, is because it is designed to be so by political 
astuteness. An exclusive esoteric method of language 
establishes a peerage of learning that can be just as auto- 
cratic as any aristocracy dependent upon military pro- 
tection, but the question of the day is whether moral rec- 
titude is a form or a fact. It would be a misfortune to 
any institution or society, if experience could be strictly 
controlled by any formal system of education. Because 
it does not appear readily in literal parlance that spiritual 
knowledge is a fact, not only invisible but uncontrollable 
by man, who is limited to form, for the purpose of corre- 
spondence or a comparison of experience, one with an- 
other. 

The literal forms of morality in comparison to the 
spiritual is the subject in hand. A straight course in 
every act known to the actor would constitute moral rec- 
titude, technically termed honesty. There is no escape 
from a dishonest purpose when a representative form is 



296 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

SO constructed as to give a false impression to the un- 
learned, while its true character is only known to the 
learned. The learned who know they do wrong are more 
responsible for their conduct than the same act by a per- 
son who had no knowledge of its being wrong. If the 
common people are to continue forever to serve the su- 
premacy of learning, it will not detract from moral obli- 
gations. It is so evident therefore from the circum- 
stances of history, and the persistency of the learned in 
treating morality as a form, leaving no alternative but to 
admit that moral rectitude as a divine principle is better 
preserved in the illiterate than the literate. It is doubtful 
if any form of illustration were better written to illus- 
rate the immorality of the learned than the primitive fall. 
It is quite pertinent to the principle of education when 
viewed as a form of learning to observe the difficulty in 
determining what to teach another, when it is strictly de- 
nied to a person what he may be forced to learn himself. 
It is certainly immoral to institute a form of learning 
so difficult to acquire, for the purpose of political su- 
premacy. There being no limit to learning mere forms, 
it would forever consign the lesser learned to a condition 
of servitude, except for natural order having no practical 
difference to ancient slavery, except in name. To con- 
sider the situation as a divine beneficence permitting the 
supremacy of the learned to institute dishonest forms of 
learning for the apparent purpose of protecting a suprem- 
acy over the weak, who also appear to be compelled to 
submit because they have not sufficient learning to offer 
any opposition. If the purpose is to "lift up" a "fallen" 
humanity it could not possibly apply to a height that 
would disturb the point at which supremacy becomes a 
law to itself. If it implied a deification of human perfec- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 297 

tion by reason of literal learning, it would never justify 
a dishonest form necessary to reach such perfection. It 
is not so readily understood by the illiterate that words 
are only relative forms, but if there were no political rea- 
son to hold to the pagan deification of words, the mere 
learning of words would be a simple matter. 

The profession of learning forms a peerage of greater 
magnitude than any political or social peerage that was 
ever instituted. It could be allowed that since the dark 
ages the distribution of learning has become more gen- 
eral. At every advance, however, it was only gained by 
wars and acrimonious writings that the world had never 
witnessed before. The learned peerage were only con- 
tending for the patronage of the common people, for the 
"new learnings" that sprung up at the instigation of Lu- 
ther did not exclude any of the esoteric forms derived 
from the pagans. Immorality could only be corrected by 
literal form. Whatever school of learning sprung up, it 
was more to gain a supremacy of political control than 
to encourage a common education. Any person who 
dared to assert the equality of man in the sight of God, 
was either excommunicated or deliberately executed. All 
this brutal conduct was to defend the supremacy of learn- 
ing. It was practically held to be impossible for a person 
to possess a private judgment and every new school of 
learning could readily prove any end desired, for pagan 
learning was supposed to be necessary to comprehend 
even revealed religion. 

If a sincere purpose exists to promote the common 
privilege of education, which is often declared, it would 
not include the necessity of supporting an extravagant 
form, for fear the political supremacy will be disturbed. 
It is this indifference to moral rectitude bv holding- to a 



298 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

dishonest form, that makes the learned as a body respon- 
sible for social disorder. No person can perform his 
moral duty to society and deny the right of private judg- 
ment either to himself or directed to another. Whatever 
effect it has upon written codes of authority it is no less 
a fact. It cannot be denied without affirming it in the 
very act of denial. It is a principle that transcends the 
affected supremacy of learning. Besides, science and 
theology can contend against each other like two locomo- 
tives of equal strength, trying to move each other. It 
simply disturbs mediators, deputies, and politicians, as a 
natural necessity to activity, without which knowledge 
would be as impossible as experience. Neither theory or 
science can prove an experience to be false. If reason 
prevails, it must be pure reason, for no nation, institu- 
tion, or school of philosophy has even prevailed over 
moral rectitude, or pure reason. 

It appears more comfortable to follow ; it suggests a 
finished product free from care and responsibility, but 
even such luxury cannot shake off the principle of per- 
sonal judgment. A man can rave and command after 
the sailors have left the ship, when he feels fire behind 
and sees nothing but water in front. If he refuses to ex- 
ercise his previous judgment by defying both elements, 
it will not prove the absence of an empirical judgment. 
This delicate situation can be referred to theology and 
science to settle, but if there are no followers to support 
the argument, it will consume itself like a fire in the ab- 
sence of fuel. If facts are cold, fire is equally hot. 

The supremacy of learning should not be mistaken for 
the supremacy of knowledge, for the former is but the 
shadow of the latter. Knowledge is the one invisible 
power that will not admit of a plurality of words to sig- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 299 

nify it. Learning, to be such, cannot rise above formula ; 
it has a worthy office as a deputy in the distribution of 
knowledge, which is exclusively a divine privilege to re- 
veal to each and every person. The word influence sig- 
nifies education in its broad sense ; to be dishonestly em- 
ployed, it would be immoral on the ground that whatever 
act is performed, knowing it to be false, for the purpose 
of misleading another, would be a betrayal of confidence 
— immorality of the highest type. When personal judg- 
ment becomes so crippled as to require an absolution for 
whatever evil might be committed, the belief, holdings, or 
profession would be of such a settled character that ab- 
solution would not convince a person that he was as 
free from sin as before he was born. Any institution of 
learning may teach moral forms and precepts, but if it 
insists upon teaching that visible forms have greater po- 
tency for good than the invisible communion of Spirit 
empirically conceived, the immoral practice of such an 
institution will be followed in disregard of its moral pre- 
cepts. 

Christianity was established upon moral rectitude and 
the authority of One invisible power, as against the pow- 
erful influence of pagan learning, the supremacy of 
which was heresy to question. Who but the "common 
herd" could be depended upon to sustain the simple 
preaching of Christ, directed mainly against the worship 
of forms and visible things, particularly a plural of gods, 
representing a learned ability to penetrate the realm of 
Spirit and divine its purpose? 

The reflection upon the present eflfort of the learned to 
maintain a supremacy over invisible power, is exactly 
parallel to the pagans, except the substituting of words 
in place of gods. The teaching of false words to youth 



300 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

is equally as immoral as the teaching of false gods. In- 
stitutions would defend their position in proportion to 
their ability to obtain followers. It is not so much a ques- 
tion of education, as that of honesty, for some purpose 
must exist other than honesty, in continuing to maintain 
a series of words to signify an invisible power, when the 
word "invisible" would prohibit the use of words to di- 
vide a power invisible, for the apparent purpose of giving 
it a variety of attributes at the convenience of the learned. 
The situation can only be examined by personal judg- 
ment, for an economy of education would not be consid- 
ered by the officials of an institution engaged in promot- 
ing a learned supremacy. The end being recognized by 
the universal body of the learned, the means, whether 
moral or not, would only be considered by the individual 
with moral conviction more potent than his personal in- 
terests. 

None but a peer can approach a person of exalted learn- 
ing; it requires courage for a man, his equal in learning, 
to even suggest a possibility that man is equal in the 
sight of God. There is only one command of the learned, 
considered as a general esoteric agreement, that is : sub- 
mission and silence. There are, however, courageous ex- 
ceptions to this state of things, but so vastly in the minor- 
ity that the influence is a mere irritation. The disregard 
for moral recitude and the ease by which the Scriptures 
can be interpreted to justify a desired end, gives to secu- 
lar education what bids fair to dispense with religious 
education, so far as Protestant organizations are con- 
cerned. Not so, however, with the Roman Catholics, for 
whether it is polity or not, no one can deny that to the 
extent of their means, they are more interested in teach- 
ing morality to the young than the secular school. It is 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 3OI 

with no reflections upon Protestants, for the public 
schools are controlled by political interests. It is a mere 
supposition that the teaching of patriotism and great ex- 
pectations under the supervision of political greed will 
conduct to moral rectitude. Prophecies will not effect 
the situation, as much as the personal judgment of the 
teacher, for politics controlled by commercial greed will 
be as deaf as the exalted learned. 

It is a bold experiment, in view of the mistakes of the 
past, for religious education was conducted by the state 
to protect the supremacy of the learned, which led to de- 
struction, and with the same end in view what can be ex- 
pected from an irreligious education enforced by the 
state on the exact lines of the pagans? If moral rectitude 
continues to preserve the simplicity of Christianity, it will 
be due to natural virtue rather than cultivated extrava- 
gance. 



302 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



IDEAL SYSTEMS. 



'T^HE continual conflict between a spiritual system and a 
-*■ literal system relating to education, should attract at- 
tention, for no better evidence could be had than the mis- 
takes of the past. Speculative systems of whatever char- 
acter have always failed to reach beyond expectation. 
It should suggest that ideal intelligence was illusive in 
comparison to natural facts. The ideal of the present is 
identical with the mythology of the past, for the same 
purpose of taking an advantage of credulity. The power 
to maintain tyrannical systems is in turn overpowered by 
natural adjustment, when no evidence of partiality ap- 
pears. 

It is no less the privilege of an individual than a col- 
lective system to be a "free lance" and study the confu- 
sion of men who have no other claim to infinite import- 
ance than what is fundamentally common to entire hu- 
manity. Philosophers always prove this feature by the 
example of their own personality. A "free lance" can 
study the situation with perfect safety, for people caught 
in the meshes of their own weaving can punish each other 
without destroying the future prospects of a new comer 
upon the scene of strife. Not but what philosophers 
strive to be honest in their precepts, but they are so en- 
gaged in some special system, as to lose sight of the fun- 
damental truth common to all. Space and time and dif- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 3O3 

ferences are of prime importance to an active life, for a 
passive life is void of the distinction between animal and 
progressive intelligence. Any person having discovered 
this simple difference is in touch with the infinite princi- 
ple of life, for no external power could have the least 
influence upon an individual, except for that touch. The 
effort of philosophers to build a system that will bridge 
the space between the finite and infinite has been the 
Waterloo of all of them. A tinge of polity can be de- 
tected in all speculative theories that makes it necessary 
for the very defence of existence to organize a contrary 
system. It would be wearisome to dispute the dialectical 
sophistry of the past. Records of it are more instructive 
in revealing the cruel systems that men have instituted 
for the purpose of oppression and personal profit, rather 
than any sincere purpose of enlightenment. 

All literature is poisoned with the metaphysical inven- 
tions of Aristotle for the simple reason that it introduced 
a literal method of transcending experience and con- 
sciousness, for the purpose of controlling the will power 
of the multitude in the interest of the self-elect few. 

The object of a collective system is either to command 
obedience or exercise an attractive influence. It is idle 
to command in the absence of a force of some character 
to compel obedience. It makes literal suggestions even, 
very misleading. Between the finite and infinite is the 
limit of human wisdom. To assert that a system is by 
authority is too vague to mean anything more than a. 
mere paraphrase. If the child is commanded to obey two 
systems that are diametrically opposed, the child is di- 
rectly imposed upon, for, if it is compelled by virtue of 
authority to choose which command to obey, it recog- 



304 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

nizes the natural good sense of the child as superior to 
the systems seeking its control. 

Abstract objection to a subjective fact derived from a 
concrete truth is beyond the wisdom of man to assert 
without betraying a motive of polity; and only for the 
fact that love is a sense instead of a law to be obeyed the 
child would be sacrificed to the power of adult greed. 
With due respect for the moral precepts of Hopkin's 
"Law of Love and Love as Law," it could be observed 
that the dual character of the word "law" neutralizes his 
work by the very title he gives it. Law has nothing to 
do with concrete sense, except a person chooses to obey 
the fiat of man in opposition to the direct revelation of 
God. There is no occasion to define literal words, to ob- 
ject to the statement that the child is a "dependent crea- 
ture." It is not true, because the child itself emphatically 
denies it. A system without polity would be a body with- 
out organs or faculties of any kind. Now systems in 
constant dispute over moral ethics have a common inter- 
est in maintaining the sophistry that the child's depend- 
ence upon literal law or literal authority. Moral precepts 
are always commendable when accompanied by moral 
practice, for a very weak child can discern example long 
before it can understand the paradox of etymology. 

The point of difference for a sincere thinker of moral 
subjects is between natural philosophy and speculative 
philosophy — the truth and theory. Systems constructed 
by man have a purpose as a necessary negative to make 
a positive apparent to human conception. They are all 
transitory, however, and that fact should not escape the 
observation of a tentative reformer who is imbued with 
a trained belief that the babe is born for the sole purpose 
of rival systems contending for its control. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 305 

The poison that pagan scholars injected into literature 
is the governing principle of educational systems at pres- 
ent, and when scholars cannot agree upon what the truth 
really is, it is apparent that systems are more dependent 
upon the babe than the reverse ; for anyone can learn the 
truth by studying the babe. Education as a cardinal 
principle is not responsible for education as a system ; the 
difference again is between the finite and infinite — the 
truth in contrary distinction to theory. 

The diplomatic ability of Aristotle in giving meanings 
to words that gave the appearance of theory transcending 
the truth could readily be seen. His sincerity can be left 
to his own conscience, for he has ceased to be a factor in 
pampering to the favor of tyranny, but he taught the 
method of playing with words, which has become the 
principal method of maintaining systems of oppression. 
A person possessing a greater degree of experience than 
the child must, by reason of his experience, understand 
what is meant by concrete truth. 

Experience requires no literal interpretation. It is 
just as absurd to teach any one how to act natural 
as to pretend to influence a child before it is born. 
When a person is thoroughly trained to abstract con- 
victions, he is more persistently ignorant of concrete 
truth than the babe, when consciousness is first re- 
vealed to it. Experience again is not a theory, but 
the truth, which no person can deny without affirm- 
ing it to be the truth from the necessary ability to 
deny it. Systems, therefore, are dependent upon ab- 
stracts, w^hich makes it logically impossible to jus- 
tify a compulsory authority over a child. A confu- 
sion of understanding immediately arises, because the 
literal supremacy of pagan prerogatives are more 



306 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

carefully adhered to than the sense-truth that is re- 
vealed directly to every being or it would be impos- 
sible to teach either evil or good. That Socrates was 
the first martyr to suffer for espousing the principle 
of empiricism, because it recognizes the very funda- 
mental principle of all collective systems; to wit, 
that the fundamental equality of man was beyond the 
power of man to direct. Because all the defenders 
of empiricism have been crucified in various ways ap- 
pears to be a victory for systems over the continual 
petition of the babe, perfectly parallel with the dec- 
laration of Socrates ; and the present system of edu- 
cation seeks to poison the child with systematic au- 
thority, in opposition to divine revelation. The per- 
sistent effort of writers to defend the polity of man 
in his temporal power to construct systems so strong 
that the very power of God is defied ; it defeats itself 
by denying the very empirical experience that even 
constructive power depends upon. 

The fact that wickedness, evil, and sin are pointed to 
with a countenance of horror by those who could not 
teach it thoroughly except having a personal familiar- 
ity with their subject, is the strongest appeal for the 
recognition of the empirical right of the babe, and 
human weakness. Ideal systems of education are ad- 
vanced by multitudes of writers, who like philoso- 
phers exhaust the most of their ability in seeking to 
promote material victory rather than admit the truth 
that is wholly confined to natural education and the 
only perfect Teacher. The little truth they admit 
is the flexible character of words ; and a careful study 
of reasons and objects for some specific system ad- 
vanced, it could be observed that it disputes itself by 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 307 

seeking to prove that sense-truth is really depend- 
ent upon what all theoretic writers are pleased to 
term "literal truth." 

The efifort to hide a natural truth which is self-as- 
serting, is the point where all advocates by special 
educational systems betray their own vicarious atti- 
tude, when the motive becomes more prominent as 
the little truth employed leavens the whole mass. 
If a theoretic argument will not bear its own weight 
without the endorsement of popularity to float it, it 
needs no explanation to show why it sinks. The 
Bible explains the reason why theories are not true, 
and to teach children experimentally to determine 
whether a "literal truth" is the equal of a spiritual 
truth is murder in purpose, even if it is legally per- 
mitted. Such nomenclature as "teaching the senses 
how to feel and how to think," and the importance 
of ''teaching the will" ; such declarations are too 
vague to present a nucleus for dispute. The most 
ordinary thinker with respect for sense-truth and his 
natural faculties unimpaired could readily see that 
such terms dispute themselves. 

The effort to teach children that they are serfs or 
wards of their predecessors is for the same purpose 
that heathen sophists taught that weakness belonged 
to the strong who were the only portion of humanity 
entitled to live in idle luxury. Words have been 
continually changed in definition to disguise the same 
cruel purpose toward defenceless children. The 
truth will not be conquered by theories and any per- 
son who knows he has not courage enough to de- 
nounce this immoral practice of teaching children an 
obligation to their predecessors, is the real respon- 
sible party. 



308 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

If children had a voice before they were born they 
would be justified in refusing to be born, but natural 
intelligence has never been conquered for any great 
length of time. It gathers courage of resistance 
against the vicarious assumption of man, and what 
cannot be taught is natural intelligence or a voluntary 
willingness to be enslaved. If duty is a sentiment 
that can be made to order, is it not a logical inconsist- 
ency to protect a system of education against the gen- 
eral principle for feai children will learn the truth 
and discover that they lead civilization in defiance of 
their predecessors, who as a concrete body are ever 
seeking to conserve the past. The reason is very sim- 
ple and could be readily taught in a primary school 
— that every human being fell into the embrace of 
consciousness for the reason that a contact with some 
object was a necessity to reveal the spiritual power 
of sense, which would otherwise remain dormant in 
a protoplasm state until the contact occurred. 

Two hundred years ago it would have been con- 
sidered high treason to have declared that cliildren 
were for any other purpose than to be frightened to 
death. The necessity, however, of the child coming 
in contact with an object and that object could be 
considered to be its predecessors, the object could 
not be morally justified in assuming a right to force 
a premature contact with the child. The precept of 
moral intention toward the child for the child's good, 
will not justify the teaching of synonymes and dual 
definition of words to attract the attenion of a child 
for the same purpose that it was formerly frightened 
to death. 

If the child is naturally born to make its own way 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 3O9 

in the world according to Scriptures, objects spring- 
ing up in its path with pretence of assistance only to 
betray its confidence, is more the object of systems 
that give evidence of self protection rather than any 
sincere interest in enlightening the weaklings of hu- 
manity. The "settled" convictions of the predeces- 
sors of the child, that it is a dependent creature, is a 
false premise to start with, but if the child can be 
taught to believe it, it becomes a passive toy which 
the great multitude of systems and "free institutions" 
depend upon for support. 

It is a very narrow objection and also a poor excuse 
to demand reasons for spiritual power or Divine gov- 
ernment. To transcend the infinite in thought, does 
not establish a fact that the imaginative faculty of the 
mind may portray. Every one who can imagine 
things can reasonably believe that any one with nor- 
mal faculties can do the same thing, after experience 
reveals self-consciousness — concrete knowledge ; and 
to continue the analogy to a conclusion, if knowledge 
is truth, it is also God, proving the empirical charac- 
ter of every human being. Knowledge is not a prod- 
uct but a producer possessing value of an infinite 
character. The effort to qualify or predicate what 
the word truth represents exposes the folly of pre- 
decessors to their posterity, providing that systems 
of destruction that would advocate the "breaking" 
of a child's will, are successfully combatted by the babe 
who is better provided with means than any system 
that has no protection, except their ability to misin- 
terpret literal words, and give them special defini- 
tions, to catch the unwary in the net of sophistry. 
It is like the merchant who seeks the trade of those 



3IO THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

who offer the least resistance to his methods, — the 
main object being to hide his inner purpose with an 
external grace of pretension. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



npHE marvelous growth of America is due to the 
^ public schools, they existed before political greed be- 
came organized, which was a mere supplement of 
commercial greed. Commerce had scarcely devolved 
from piracy at the close of the American Revolution 
and only for the moral integrity of Washington, 
Jefferson and Franklin, the new-born States would 
have declared war against each other. The com- 
promise that effected a federation of States was a 
co-partnership of commerce and politics. The people 
served one or the other and frequently both, as long 
as it did not effect personal liberty, which at that 
time included religion and education both. 

The civil war was occasioned by a quarrel between 
commerce and politics over the division of the spoils, 
for the country had commenced to grow wealthy, but 
personal liberty had also grown with wealth, and that 
natural God-given principle held the balance of power 
and won the victory. Commerce and politics are 
quarreling again, which will result in another war un- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 3II 

less the school teachers of America prevent it, for 
at present they hold the balance of power. 

It is immaterial whether school teachers fully real- 
ize they are the instruments of polity or not, if they 
will only study the situation with philosophical care, 
they could see how impossible it is for their personal 
liberty to be conquered by political greed. Honesty 
is not a policy, while it may be good policy to be hon- 
est, also when honesty is prompted by a motive, it 
only appears to be such, a mere symbol of honesty. 
Spiritual honesty should be studied separately from 
symbolical honesty. The State may have usurped 
its authority, as history distinctly records that they 
all have, it would not justify a teacher of a public 
school in berating his employer, from whom he took 
pay. That is, to condemn a system as dishonest and 
continue to embrace it, is self-condemnation, for the 
teacher is an integral part of the system. Govern- 
ment is a cardinal principle, but it never rises superior 
to the people who are its natural protectors. It estab- 
lishes a reciprocity of protection of strictly a mate- 
rial character. A careful observation would disclose 
the importance of treating a spiritual goverment as 
distinct from a visible government instituted for so- 
cial protection. The fact that teachers even hold 
dififerent opinions upon this subject is strong proof 
that spiritual authority is an independent govern- 
ment, for it could not exist if two persons were in- 
spired or delegated by the same power to contradict 
each other. It is not strange that a difference of opin- 
ion exists, but with a respect for reason, it could be 
seen how impossible it would be to obtain a diverg- 
ing opinion from a source so infallible as spiritual au- 
thority. 



312 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

While it would be wise to recognize spiritual au- 
thority from which no one was ever known to escape, 
it would appear unwise to admit the invisibility of 
a principle, and then dispute it by an elaborate infu- 
sion of ideal explanation. That may exalt a teacher, 
but it confounds the child's understanding when it 
was practically being instructed to discard its own 
experience, and be guided by a teacher who claimed 
to make invisible principles visible. It is more im- 
portant to recognize the impartial character of invis- 
ible authority than to attempt to direct its influences. 
Education as a general principle is more to contend 
against greed, than to cultivate it, therefore public 
schools supervised by political authority are a self- 
conviction of a dishonest purpose. 

A public school is not a "free school" as it is some- 
times called because the word "free" is a very signifi- 
cant word of an empirical character, and the distor- 
tion of the word could not be consistently applied to 
a school where freedom was held in abeyance ; taught 
freely in precept but strangely contradicted by a mul- 
titude of obligations thrust upon the attention of a 
child before its experience had scarcely passed the 
period of innocence. It should be understood, there- 
fore, that a public school is supported and protected 
by the public for the common good. If this is a mere 
sentiment it is because governments have not reached 
a point of honesty beyond their political swaddling 
clothes. It being recognized that the purpose of a 
public school is for the common good, it then rests 
with the teacher whether the honest purpose or the 
political purpose will be served. The supposition 
that the title of personal liberty is only conferred 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 313 

upon teachers by political or state decree, would con- 
sign a flock of children to a condition of slavery, to 
promote a political end rather than the common good. 

A teacher who would take umbrage at having his 
opinions criticised, would exhibit a narrowness of 
mind, decidedly unfitting him for the responsible 
care of youth, yet such is the political influence if 
strictly obeyed, that natural education would be the 
only protection of personal freedom. There is no 
higher type of personal freedom than the privilege 
to determine the motive as well as the action. It 
suggests that a moral sense is just as real as con- 
sciousness. It requires no dogmatic discussion to de- 
termine what is admitted to be a personal privilege to 
determine for one's self. A person could exercise 
a personal freedom and deny it to another when from 
a literal standpoint the principle would hold good. 
A person who had not reached a point of experience, 
to determine whether morality was directly or in- 
directly revealed, would be an uncertain school 
teacher, even if he possesed a remarkable volume of 
literal ability. To be concise : When a teacher tries 
to believe that tuition supersedes intuition, he would 
be ill-fitted to promote the purpose of a public school, 
allowing that he might not be a positive detriment. 
There is no state employer that occupies such a re- 
sponsible position as the teacher of a public school. 
It is a moral obligation rather than political, for the 
State itself will grow corrupt to its own destruction, 
if honesty of practice is left to a mere declaration of 
purpose. 

The public school as a principle is superior to its 
official management which never reaches above hu- 



314 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

man frailties. The teacher has a touch of ostentation 
when he takes credit in belonging to a faculty from 
which public schools were founded. It would be well 
to realize that public schools were the outcome of 
opportunity, and teachers were executives rather than 
founders of the institutions. It is important for a 
sincere teacher to consider that schools were de- 
manded by the populace rather than forced upon 
them by the professors of learning. History is better 
evidence than personal opinion, for at no period in 
the world's history were the professionally learned 
ever disposed to enlighten the populace. To the con- 
trary every effort was made to prevent the populace 
from learning of their natural rights. It requires no 
argument to observe that when a person can read 
books, he can also reason about them. The relation, 
therefore, between professors of learning and the pop- 
ulace must change to conform to the principle of the 
public school, or youth must be trained to serve at 
the command of the professionally learned. If learn- 
ing was withheld from the populace for the purpose 
of a continual subjugation, which is a historical fact, 
can the subjugation continue since the effort to pre- 
vent popular education has practically ceased? 

It reflects a suspicion that the learned as a profes- 
sional body are not willing to admit the relation of 
public schools to civilization. They are of compara- 
tive recent introduction, since the advent of America 
presented the opportunity. An immediate surrender 
of political power is not characteristic of human na- 
ture, and when public schools have to struggle for 
existence against political opposition it presents a 
situation analagous to the struggle of Christianity; 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 315 

first opposed for its destruction, and then embraced 
for the purpose of political control, with the same 
object in view as its former destruction. It can only 
be from a neglect of history, not to observe that pro- 
fessional man and political man have always con- 
tended for popular obedience to their authority. 

It is idle, therefore, to hold that personal liberty, 
public schools and the freedom of religion are the 
result of a reversal of ancient holdings. Present cir- 
cumstances will not warrant such a conclusion. It 
is this fact that the present school teacher is con- 
cerned with. He must choose whether he will be 
guided by his personal experience (the limit of his 
judgment) or follow the indirect authority of an- 
other's experience. There is no escape from the 
choice, between personal liberty and personal sub- 
mission. From a moral standpoint personal judg- 
ment is a command, with a penalty for non-compliance 
attached. 

Personal liberty, Christianity, and public schools 
are derived from an invisible force over which polity 
has no control. The relation of the teacher is sub- 
ordinate to the cardinal principle of education, and 
moral obligation commands his first attention. He 
may study morality from a spiritual or literal stand- 
point; if he follows a polity and neglects the natural 
sense of moral duty he admits spiritual morality, by 
seeking to escape its penalties, in embracing the lit- 
eral — that is, a persistent effort to comply with an 
invisible command by a visible display of literal moral- 
ity. If the meaning is still vague, it relates to the 
difference between the truth and theory — between the 
direct and indirect revelation, or between the spirit- 
ual and the literal. 



3l6 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

When personal liberty and education are accepted 
as cardinal principles, it is more the duty of a school 
teacher to determine what he thinks himself is proper 
instruction for youth than to blindly teach literal 
authority by reason of its prominency too often due 
to political sagacity. That the public school was a 
natural conception is the point to be considered, 
against the vanity of man in teaching the innocence 
of childhood the wonders of Nature are only to be 
known from written language. That this is the trend 
of text books, is the authority from which such a con- 
clusion is drawn. It is counteracted, however, by 
the differential character of school teachers, which 
also shows the distinction between a public school 
as a cardinal principle, and one that man would strict- 
ly confine to book authority, with the vicarious at- 
titude of man which he is prone to assert for himself. 

The public school supersedes the State supervision, 
in the sense that it is a principle apart from political 
control in like manner as religion, which is gradually 
withdrawing from such control. That a nation con- 
trols its subjects as a means of self-preservation ap- 
plies to a State that tries to unite politics and religion. 
It will devolve upon the vigilance of school teachers 
individually to counteract the political efifort to con- 
trol secular schools for the same end that religious 
schools were maintained previous to the advent of 
American independence. Morality is the principle 
derived from sense conception, a principle above po- 
litical control. It is not confined to a few literal pre- 
cepts, but it embraces the general principle of hon- 
esty. The child is confiding and easily misled. The 
reasoning faculty to the extent that experience has 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 317 

developed is very keen in youth, for that reason an 
evasion of the truth will tend to withdraw a previous 
confidence in the teacher, and when a complete loss 
of confidence occurs, moral instruction would be ac- 
cepted as a convenience rather than an obligation. 

A school teacher who voluntarily follows text books 
by reason of their introduction into public schools at 
the command of state authority, would contradict by 
his own act any precept that he might advance to 
youth, in regard to the importance of individual think- 
ing. That is, it would be practically absurd to per- 
suade a child to think with a proviso that it confined 
its thoughts to what it was taught to think. It would 
be idle to hold that a child, grown to adult age would 
profit by his training and think for himself. A child 
may forget much of his early training, but he never 
forgets any little deception practiced upon him by 
parent or teacher. 

An empirical decision is very attractive to a child, 
and proves conclusively that he is more inclined to be 
honest than dishonest, but when he observes a teacher 
refusing to practice the precepts of a text book with 
an evasive excuse, the child drifts into a course of 
deception more readily than it can be eradicated. A 
code of moral ethics is not necessary for the average 
school teacher's observation, when he has the prac- 
tical facts before his eyes ; for that reason a polity of 
method other than strict honesty will not make the 
best citizen, what the State desires. The State as 
a power to control the public schools, has no interest 
in it beyond its own preservation. The moral fea- 
true of the schools devolves upon the personnel of 
the teacher. Text books of the mystic order, treating 



3l8 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

upon idealism and psychology, is dogmatic polity, be- 
cause the motive is hidden. Such books are not re- 
ligious or moral, because they are untrue. If it is, 
therefore, more important to maintain a deceptive 
principle than preserve the welfare of the child, the 
responsibility rests with the individual teacher, for 
the decision must be empirical regardless of differ- 
ential opinions. It is an extension of moral obliga- 
tion, when the welfare of a group of children is of 
less importance than the personal interest of a teach- 
er, who would use his office to foster factional con- 
tentions. 

The dual character of education is divided between 
the natural and book knowledge. To teach a child 
that knowledge is dependent upon books and a media- 
tor, is to maintain pagan prerogatives. Allowing 
that children are verbally taught the importance of 
thinking for themselves, the principle is immediately 
contradicted by books that make it more attractive 
to be guided by the thoughts of others. This con- 
fusion favors the most attractive method and as a 
mere observation, it is doubtful if one out of a hun- 
dred of the book-taught, have an idea, or if they did 
understand what it means for a person to think for 
one's self, he would not be willing to do so, simply 
because book knowledge holds out the greatest ex- 
pectation. While books therefore contend for tui- 
tion. Nature insists upon intuition, and this struggle 
for supremacy over Nature may be a necessary evil,, 
but dishonesty and superficial morality will never be 
a virtue. 

A child is not a machine and the great variety of 
methods to make him such has always resulted in 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 319 

failure sooner or later. Slavery, State ownershp of 
its subjects and the modern method of controlling ed- 
ucation, are parallel efforts to make machines of hu- 
manity. It is not for one person to assert it, but re- 
sults of modern education, cannot be varnished over 
with eloquence or rhetoric. The modern method of 
slavery is practically to win the confidence of the 
child for the sole purpose of betraying it. A few ab- 
stract exceptions do not effect the general result, 
and when parents realize from their own disappoint- 
ment, how their confidence was betrayed, a revolution 
of some character must occur for Nature will not be 
imposed upon for the convenience of greed. School 
teachers with moral convictions (not superficial mor- 
als) can control the situation by individual effort, 
for collective efforts in accomplishing reforms can be 
more readily overcome than the honest convictions 
of a single person. It is for the reason that a person 
is not a machine, the empirical stands for. What 
experience teaches to be true, is the only method by 
which civilization is possible. 

The continual effort derived from antiquity to 
maintain that knowledge is necessarily derived from 
a mediator is a condition of polity. If it is true, it 
should be asserted in an open, frank manner, void of 
all esoteric phraseology. If it is believed to be false 
it should be as frankly denounced. The teacher or 
his protege cannot escape a personal decision of 
whether knowledge is obtained directly or indirectly ; 
or whether intuition is superior to tuition. It is medi- 
ocrity that is concerned with this proposition, for the 
ultra learned are not ignorant of the facts. 



320 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



PURE REASON. 



"DEASON, to be what is universally claimed for it, can 
-*■*■ be no less than the simple truth. Simple because it is 
a common privilege, truth, because it relates to conceived 
consciousness, by reason of contact with an external ob- 
ject, A discussion in literal signs is only a step removed 
from the defining of words, because the science of myth- 
ology is constantly reappearing under a new name, and 
proved by the remarkable ability of man in a deferential 
degree to distort words to deceive the credulous and 
compel the foolish to serve the wise. 

Modern mythology would have to be disguised in a 
new dress, and a change of name, if the populace could 
be persuaded immediately to believe there was only one 
God. Primarily considered, the same principle is in- 
volved at birth, since it would be impossible to conceive 
consciousness in the absence of a fall, or contact with 
some external object. Pure reason suggests, without 
seeking a possible objection, that the mythical character 
of words would no doubt be equal to, that a child could 
not think in the absence of something to think about, or 
feel without some contact of a negative character. In 
the absence of the sense of love, it would be reasonable 
from general observation that humanity would have com- 
mitted suicide before it would have tolerated the pres- 
ence of a child. What has man, considered as a free 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 321 

moral agent, got to his credit against what history re- 
cords against him? 

Mr. Herbert Spencer eulogizes mythology as having 
been a necessary method of human progress. He does 
not assume that myths were matters of fact, but he ap- 
pears sincere in clinging to the science of mythology 
while his own thoughts are thoroughly absorbed in the 
single end he has in view — the science of evolution. His 
entire writings are an elaborate attempt to apologize for 
intellectual tyranny. Orthodox opinions can undoubt- 
edly be held with a sincere purpose in trying to improve 
society. But a strict method of esoteric logic would not 
permit Spencer to see the error in his philosophy, which 
is general in the system itself, and scarcely removed 
from the doctrine of socialism. The whole is ideal illu- 
sion or modern mythology, lacking the essential feature 
of pure reason. The difference in species and opinions, 
is scarcely recognized as a wise provision against the 
danger of a passive life, when intelligent existence would 
be as mythical as an ideal concepti9n of perfection. 

The breath of life is a common inheritance revealed to 
everything that lives ; empirical consciousness is the very 
genesis of personal judgment. It is a title that cannot 
be transferred, however submissive a person may become 
by persuasion or fright. A leader, may he be a chief, 
king, or director of a minor organization, acts from a 
disposition to command. Every babe is a bom leader 
and commands every object he perceives that obeys him, 
but if the object becomes aggressive he demands assist- 
ance ; if that is not promptly rendered, he learns humility 
by experience, from which source pure reason is also de- 
rived. The first conception of a thought is a direct reve- 
lation of invisible authority, but a visible revelation of 



322 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

indirect authority produces an activity of the intellectual 
faculties, when reason directs the choice between the 
positive and negative character of the will. The differ- 
ence, therefore, between a visible command and that 
which is spiritual would not concern a child, for it natu- 
rally clings to a visible object simply because it can be 
seen and felt. It is a miraculous wisdom that bestows 
a latent intelligence within the brain cells of a human 
being. The point is, that latent intelligence is spiritual, 
and however unconscious a child may be of the intelli- 
gence it is in possession of, it is all the child will ever 
possess. Cultivation is a mere figure of speech relating 
to personal convenience, having no authority over spirit- 
ual intelligence. 

The mythology of the ancients shows conclusively that 
it could not have existed except in proportion to a devel- 
oped intelligence. It was the system of education that 
political necessity appeared to command, since distant 
races having had no known connection with each other, 
evolved a mythology in general character the same. It 
would appear from a moral standpoint more reasonable 
to arrive at a distinctly opposite conclusion from that of 
the modern school of evolution, scarcely any advance 
from the universal practice of mythology. 

It should be observed that slavery or some form of 
subjugation was always contemporaneous with myth- 
ology. It would hardly appear reasonable that a leader 
of a gregarious collection of humanity could be intelli- 
gent enough to act the tyrant in taking advantage of the 
weakness of his followers, and not know it. Besides, all 
rulers and leaders have not been tyrants, which proves 
that tyranny was not an essential factor of leadership. 

Experience is a continual unfolding of intelligence, but 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 323 

if there was no inner intelligence there would be nothing 
to unfold. A leader can only bring forth his followers 
when such followers exist. He can also teach them evo- 
lution, but the act of evolving is controlled by the inner 
command, in proportion to the degree of intelligence that 
experience had evolved. Hence there is no intrinsic 
principle that a leader or ruler will admit after declaring 
his purpose to lead or rule. He will not admit that evo- 
lution is a natural or spiritual growth because his end in 
view is to lead or rule, which implies the necessity of a 
mediator in the evolving of intelligence. The presump- 
tion of a leader or ruler is farther extended by insisting 
upon their power to transmit intelligence exclusively of 
the common privilege bestowed upon entire humanity. 

Literal reason depends upon literal words, and such 
reason is lacking in purity in proportion to the defective 
character of etymology which explains the use of words, 
but in attempting to explain their origin, the spiritual 
power to produce words is not recognized. Thus pure 
reason is buried in silence, while visible reason or the lit- 
eral, parades itself as the ruling power. 

The fact that all ancient rulers adopted some form of 
mythology introduced the means to establish a literal 
philosophy. Material evolution is constructed upon the 
same principle as mythology, for the purpose of justify- 
ing the interposition of a superior type of humanity, be- 
tween the genesis of life and intelligent development. 
To disprove it by literal reason is impossible, for an in- 
visible Spirit can be materially clothed in relative words 
or figures to any extent that the imagery of thought 
may construct. Spiritual reason, however, is pure rea- 
son that silently evolves a growth that the egotism of 
man seeks to explain for his own advantage. It is pure 



324 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

reason, however, that determines the difference between 
actual personal experience and that which is derived 
from language relating to the experience of others. 

Mythology, slavery, and literal education, are iden- 
tical methods having the same end in view. Natural 
or spiritual evolution, which is practically the cardi- 
nal principle of education, the only method also by 
which pure reason is possible, transcends the mytho- 
logical as sunlight supersedes darkness. The con- 
ception of an idea is a spiritual effect ; it constitutes 
a touch of Knowledge and the effort of a philologist 
to make words to conform to his desires, institutes a 
system of mythology, idealism, or imagination, — which- 
ever word is used, the same end is involved. Any 
reason that is advanced to justify a qualification of 
Spirit or conceived knowledge, is as constantly de- 
flected by pure reason as it is constantly presented in 
different form. The myths of the ancients were the 
same as the myths of the moderns, the only differ- 
ence being a change of name. MacMuller calls myth- 
ology the outcome of a diseased language, but who 
can conceive of a pure thought being corrupted by a 
diseased language? Spencer says that science is in- 
debted to mythology, by which process the survival 
of the fittest was evolved. Spiritual knowledge or 
natural knowledge he would only consider as "vul- 
gar." 

The inference from such doctrine could be drawn 
that indirect knowledge was necessary, even if mythi- 
cal to overcome the "vulgar" knowledge directly con- 
ceived. The fact that myths were constructed by 
distinct races, and always by those who had evolved 
a greater degree of knowledge, since the purpose was 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 325 

the same of deceiving those of a less evolved con- 
ception, it would suggest that Spencer's effort to 
substitute material evolution for the spiritual, was 
not only mythical, but for the same purpose — to 
frighten the credulous. Drummond, also, tries to 
materialize Spirit, (the essence of mythology) by 
constructing ideal spirits in correspondence. When 
pure reason can be persuaded to surrender to mythi- 
cal reason, the object of such a science is determined 
by the result. Because the populace are less devel- 
ope dis the results from the predilection of those who 
simply attract followers. 

The fact that the most obscure species of humanity 
gives evidence of a progressive intelligence, shows 
that every effort of man to apotheosize himself as 
the progenitor of intelligence is a myth. The science 
of mythology developed in proportion to the immedi- 
ate success attending it. The institution of slavery 
and its decline proves that tyranny was fostered by 
developed intelligence. The effort to apologize for 
tyranny as a necessary evil to promote evolution, 
lacks the important feature of pure reason, no less 
empirical than the fact that freedom and liberty are 
an individual conception from which circumstance 
intelligent progress asserts itself against the collec- 
tive polity of man to obstruct it. The effort to main- 
tain a theoracy against the silent judgment of the 
individual has always failed. A government that as- 
sumes a paternal attitude over the inborn title to pri- 
vate judgment, is equally a subject to the Higher 
Authority as each of its sentient units are. The gov- 
ernment may be called by any name that can be man- 
ufactured, but it is always a protected institution as 



326 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

well as protective. For that reason when a government 
usurps authority in defiance of personal liberty, and 
pure reason it is a dangerous experiment. 

Abstract education by compulsion can be equally 
as oppressive as any form of slavery. It is simply 
taking advantage of a weak intelligence to serve the 
more developed. Real education is not a product of 
compulsion, a being in possession of conceived intelli- 
gence is the equal at least of a blade of grass and 
that even cannot be compelled to grow. It would be 
well to consider what is meant by education. A per- 
son's brain could be filled with reflections of other 
people's thoughts and considered education. In that 
case it would be a tacit admission that indirect edu- 
cation embraced it all. Latent intelligence and pure 
reason would slumber in a person's brain after he 
was thoroughly forced to accept the indirect process 
as superseding the direct. This is the point when 
myth would be mistaken for reality, because it had 
accomplished its object in convincing a person that 
it was the only reality there was. 

It does not concern pure reason because of the 
prominence of a person who would advocate compul- 
sory education as a polity for the protection of the 
state or society. The question would immediately 
occur, whether it was more important to protect the 
state than to protect the child? The fact that com- 
pulsory education is limited to the abstract, or in- 
direct defeats its declared purpose, since what intelli- 
gence has directly conceived needs no compulsion 
which would destroy its directness. It follows that if 
the prime object of compulsion is to supersede direct 
intelligence which to be such would be a self-re- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 32/ 

vealing force that might be obstructed, but never 
compelled to appear. If it is contended that educa- 
tion is to "lead forth" the mythical pretence is still 
more evident. What is there to lead forth w^hen the 
very conception of intelligence is to spring forth until 
the child's confidence is betrayed, by which process 
it either grows stubborn and revengeful, or calmly 
submits to being compelled to accept the thoughts of 
others, until it is possible for a person to forget that 
he had intelligent organs to forge his own thoughts. 

It is an admission of state officials that advocate a 
compulsory education, that the State usurped its 
authority, since it would be absurd to compel a child 
to respect a good home. Society also in the abstract, 
has a selfish end in seeking to educate children to 
serve its purpose. That the welfare of the child is 
a secondary motive, and known to be such is ad- 
mitted by the process employed to accomplish it. 
For that reason again, the responsibility of protecting 
the children, rests with the individual teacher. 

The political motive of the State's control of edu- 
cation, is to the same end that prompted the political 
efifort to control religion in the dark ages. The State 
effort to control education cannot be justified by pure 
reason even in literal methods of representing reality ; 
for history is a continuous record of the political war- 
fare against religion and education both. Hence if 
the entire past used its political and militant power 
to prevent the populace from developing, it must have 
been by reason of the people showing signs of ability 
to progress. Otherwise no force would have been 
necessary to prevent the populace acting in their own 
defence, if intelligence was only possible by indirect 



328 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

conveyance. That is, if the populace were not nat- 
urally endowed with intelligence, it would have been 
absurd to attempt to teach them anything, and if 
possible more absurd to try to prevent an occurrence 
so obviously impossible. The ability of man to dis- 
tort words and mutilate language, will not disguise 
the political intent in seeking the control of education, 
by the modern renaissance of learning. Besides, 
by the modern renaissance people in the absence of assist- 
ance or compulsion, are showing to the entire world 
that opportunity to develop religion or education, is 
the natural right of every living thing in possession 
of progressive intelligence. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



YT /"HAT was, what should be, and what will be, are 
subjects of elaborate discussion, but what is, wisdom 
apologizes for, and whatever cannot be hidden behind 
curtains, is carefully smothered from public observa- 
tion by a trained system of ridicule, or social ostra- 
cism toward anyone who dares to call attention to 
what is. Silence is ignored, no less than the attempt 
at presenting any remonstrance against the modern 
educational system. 

Less than one hundred men in each State of the 
Union not only control the State, but for all practi- 
cal purposes they are the State. This bureau of 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 329 

authority seeks more than the control of the present, 
since their effort to control the thoughts of youth 
would apparently commit the unborn future to their 
exclusive wisdom. Language is so versatile that it 
appears to encourage a privilege of dissembling, and 
from an impersonal observation, one could feel chari- 
table toward a person who becomes intoxicated with 
the intricacy of language. The difference between a 
literal truth and a spiritual truth appears to bewilder 
a person. It suggests a possible innocence in the ab- 
sence of experience. In fact spiritual truth is experi- 
ence. A literal truth is true according to the letter 
or word representing an object, or conceived experi- 
ence. 

It is the choice of priority between experience and 
the literal, that an individual is compelled to accept, 
for the gulf is impassable between the spiritual and 
the literal ; the observation, however, is strictly a per- 
sonal judgment, as much so as empirical existence. 
It could be disputed in literal words, for language is 
as accommodating as a kaleidoscope, yet the fact that 
personality is the most sacred institution that was 
ever permitted to dwell on the face of the earth, would 
be as self-evident as the sense of feeling. Science 
will exhaust itself in trying to discover the touch of 
Spirit that moves things, since the correspondence of 
Spirit is personality sublime. 

The limit of abstract education is imitation and only 
possible by the instrumentality of literal or figurative 
signs. Hence an honest language would be an econ- 
omy of education that would make Christianity a 
possibility. 

Since Socrates every person who has made the at- 



330 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

tempt to break down the barrier to the Star-Chamber 
of esoteric learning, has been persecuted in some form 
or other. It shows an effort to combat the least at- 
tempt to practice spiritual intelligence which is the 
declared purpose of learning. If a specific few can 
continue to limit human thought by maintaining a 
secret code of correspondence, the division between 
the animal and the human is contingent upon the abil- 
ity of the few to maintain permanent castes, to be 
recognized according to a division of language. It 
is noticeable that only professions need to be con- 
ducted in exclusive language, forming a peerage that 
suggests an effort to monopolize intelligence, and its 
distribution. Either religion or education is appar- 
ently controlled by this monopoly to such an extent 
that neither will be socially recognized as a general 
principle, if language is defective in form. This 
struggle between mental and physical energy, so- 
called, may continue until the end of time, but it will 
also continue to be dishonest. 

Social, political, and commercial disorders are dis- 
cussed in accord with the cast of language ; there is no 
interchange of thought, as a rule between man and man, 
at least with no degree of equity. The trained profes- 
sor teaches ; the layman obeys, and if he is tractable he 
is initiated into the Star-Chamber of esoteric learning. 
It does not appear exclusive, except in language, which 
is laboriously studied for no possible purpose other than 
to make it exclusive. If there is a mistake in this ob- 
servation there is no mistake in the indivisible character 
of spiritual force. Thus to divide humanity in accord 
with language, two forces and two gods must necessar- 
ily be acknowledged. To be explicit, if there is in reality 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 33 1 

a mental force and also a physical force there is only one 
experience to determine them. It is strictly an observa- 
tion to determine whether a person can be so trained or 
educated as to yield his natural conception, and be sin- 
cerely convinced that his knowledge is derived from ex- 
ternal influences. The ambiguity of language appears 
to favor a perpetual division of humanity. Yet individ- 
ual conception is equally persistent in insisting upon the 
truth or pure principles. Two professors of learning 
will contend with each other radically, while neither 
would admit a common intelligence for universal human- 
ity. The "high and low type" is what confounds the 
learned evolutionist, or the most ascetic theologian. 
The layman, or "low type" of humanity, are not recog- 
nized as having the disposition to think upon the rela- 
tions of man to man. From the standpoint of a layman, 
it could be observed that he could think in silence, when 
he could only observe the conduct of two professors 
toward each other. The layman's ignorance of the lan- 
guage would not prevent him from studying the situa- 
tion in his own simple manner. 

"What are they contending about?" would be the nat- 
ural observation of a dog. As a supposition it would be 
more fortunate for a person who was unable to think 
for himself, than to be burdened with the "higher type" 
faculties, since not only the responsibility of conducting 
the aflPairs of others faithfully and honest, the empirical 
attitude thus admitted would have to be supplemented 
by additional thoughts in proportion to what was denied 
to others. There appears to be a natural equity between 
man and man, even if he is ignorant of the fact, or what 
would be worse than ignorance, to know it, and not 
have courage enough to admit it. 



^^2 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 

Common courtesy would suggest that an observation 
of personal conduct could be kindly considered irre- 
spective of station or caste ; providing however, it was 
declared to be free of any political intent. That is, on 
strict lines of a personal privilege to hold and also ex- 
press an opinion that humanity is figuratively One. A 
contrary opinion is equally allowable, and this recognized 
courtesy would establish a theory at least that Man in 
spiritual equity is not only born free continually, but 
was always born free, since intelligence was first re- 
vealed to primitive man. The individual who feels that 
he has a balance in his favor or yet an obligation due to 
others, has this important feature to settle with himself, 
whether he is willing or not. If hje decides not to con- 
sider the situation, but remains indifferent to his per- 
sonal privilege, the same disregard for his neglect will 
be observed of him by others. To escape from his own 
presence would be impossible. 

Now to apply the same rule of a prominent evolu- 
tionist in proving material evolution, the point to ob- 
serve is whether the same postulate will not prove spir- 
itual evolution, after which the difference between the 
spiritual and material can be considered. The privilege 
of private judgment could not be such, if one person 
claimed a right to exercise his own, and yet to extend 
the right to decide to the extent of prohibiting, by force 
if necessary, the same right for another. It is a mere 
assertion from which no proof has been established, that 
Spirit cannot think except it is in touch with substance 
of some character. In any event it is strictly an empirical 
touch, which is the main point to bear in mind. There 
are no conditions of a material character that could be 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 333 

attached to a thought, that depended upon individuahty 
to make the touch effective. 

The predicating of conduct to estabHsh a circumstance 
of exception would apply to the condition as an external 
feature, and also material ; but it would in no sense apply 
to a private thought which derived its activity from a 
touch within. It is not a theory or doctrine to the indi- 
vidual, since the organic action to produce a thought is 
strictly confined to the inner realm. Theory and doctrine 
immediately occur from the great variety of efforts to 
establish correspondence with another person. The in- 
visible, therefore, is a principle apart from material 
things, except its touch with the incarnate person, in no 
sense responsible for a private thought by reason of a 
responsibility of any conduct which might be prompted 
by the thought. 

The private character of a thought is determined by 
the same individual authority, from which the thought 
itself is derived. Hence, in denying or affirming the right 
of private judgment, and the spiritual unity of humanity, 
the inconsistency of denying such a vmity could scarcely 
escape the notice of a person who thought of the situa- 
tion sufficiently to deny it. Ambiguous words even 
would be exhausted before the consequences of a denial 
of private judgment would be completed; the most seri- 
ous of which would be for one person to exercise his own 
private judgment in denying the same privilege to an- 
other. 

Material evolution is a visible fact of which neither 
theory or philosophy is necessary to make it more visible, 
for that reason spiritual evolution suggesting a growth of 
an invisible principle would be equally as inconsistent as 
to assert that growth in material things required to be ex- 



334 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

plained, before the intelligence of one person could com- 
prehend it, without the explanation derived from the in- 
telligence of another. Spiritual evolution is a silent force 
as invisible as Spirit, and it has a supreme advantage 
over material grov^^th, because it requires no literal inter- 
vention to demonstrate it by any rule which material 
things are improved. If it is a mere figure of speech to 
imply that Spirit can grow, it being admitted to be in- 
visible perfection, it is equally true of matter, yet growth 
is a visible fact, but to be such it can only be recognized 
by the individual, which is more important to concede 
than to admit the visible fact. 

There is no difference between spiritual growth and 
material growth that words or figures can portray. The 
difference is in the relative signs. That is, a number of 
words can be used to signify a single object, but the 
number of words employed add no attribute to the ob- 
ject. When obligation and responsibility are treated as 
empirical, it requires no distortion of consciousness to 
comprehend the fact that a spiritual truth is as strictly 
individual as an observation. It would, therefore, be a 
safer base for opinions to rest upon, than any literal base 
that can never rise above its own source. Spiritual lan- 
guage in no sense depends upon the literal, but a corre- 
spondence of observation can be maintained in either 
form, but' the literal method can only become true, when 
it compares perfectly with the spiritual, or whatever de- 
gree of experience an individual may have attained. 
There is no more painful observation than to witness the 
action of any object either animate or inanimate, indif- 
ferent to its own comfort and repelling its own abil- 
ity to think from the original fountain, such a person 
admitting a limited experience, by the display of an un- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 335 

limited abilty to express the thoughts of others. It pre- 
sents a situation that repels correspondence in spiritual 
language, since the intoxicating influence of the thoughts 
of others is in complete command of the person so in- 
toxicated. 

The spiritual equity of man is an immutable fact, that 
experience is cognizant of. Every observation of what- 
ever character must be based upon this fundamental prin- 
ciple or intelligence, so called, is an artificial product. 
What are the theologians, philosophers, and scientists 
contending about when they cannot agree upon a defini- 
tion of the term by which they name each other? The 
contention has been more or less continuous, only to be 
settled by natural adjustment. The gist of the contention 
is to determine whether man was born ready-made, or 
made by his progenitors ever seeking to usurp the credit, 
while they are unable to prove to each other how they 
do it. To admit the spiritual equity of man would imme- 
diately suggest the material feature of the situation, when 
the inequality of man was a visible feature more strik- 
ing than the silent invisible. A man can be born the 
equal of any other man, and not know it, and what would 
be a greater misfortune to discover the fact and not have 
courage enough to admit it. The effort therefore to 
maintain a peaceable division of labor in transmitting- 
knowledge indirectly, continues to grow more dubious,, 
as individual courage becomes strengthened by the con- 
ception of spiritual equality. 

It is immaterial how much credit the professors of 
learning assume, if they cannot agree, for it cultivates 
the observations of the laity, and stimulates courage, 
since a contending body in factional dispute corresponds 
with direct knowledge more perfectly than the precepts 



:^^6 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

of a contending body. The influence of contention 
among leaders is more readily comprehended than lit- 
eral instruction. It is a vivid example of inconsistency, 
when, a body of men declare they are contending with 
each other to establish some settled method of convey- 
ing tuitive instruction to the undeveloped people of weak 
intelligence. It could be observed that the influence of 
example is a system of education more potent and less 
expensive than the system of conveying indirect knowl- 
edge, which is admitted by the contentions between the 
teachers to be more political than honest. 

The constant rebellion instigated by direct knowledge 
against the aggressive character of indirect systems hav- 
ing no unity of agreement, can only be determined by 
observation. It is a stern chase for literal words to tran- 
scend experience which is direct knowledge. The vic- 
tim, therefore, who can be compelled or persuaded to 
believe that tuition transcends intuition, becomes an in- 
tellectual receiver, and however brilliant such a person 
may become in rendering with perfect exactness the 
knowledge so received, the constructive faculty of the 
brain will gradually become dormant, when an original 
thought would excite such a feeling of contempt that the 
most important faculty of the brain is as effectually 
closed as if the victim had never been born. Not to know 
it is a consolation, but such protection will not exclude 
observation. The political pitfalls are parallel to the 
primitive fall. If children, therefore, are led to destruc- 
tion by political sagacity in forcing them to be taught 
that knowledge is derived from our predecessors, and 
indirectly transmitted to posterity, the responsibility for 
their destruction rests with the teacher that knows better. 

When a person observes that direct knowledge always 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 2)Z7 

supersedes the indirect, it will also follow that spiritual 
intelligence is impartially bestowed upon the human race 
at birth. It depends upon individual observation, also, 
to notice that human intelligence distinct from animal in- 
stinct, is progressive, by reason of the universal dispo- 
sition of man to use tools or instruments to work with. 
This proves that whatever may be subsequently taught 
to a person, he always possessed a direct knowledge at 
some prior period. Whoever might object to such a 
conclusion could not escape from the observation of oth- 
ers, that he was controlled by some motive of polity, 
rather than a sincere purpose in continuing to hold to the 
supremacy of indirect knowledge. 

Spiritual truth is common property, as free as sun- 
light, but polity lurks behind the necessary principle of 
government, the very necessity for which proves that man 
is more devoted to material greed than any just recog- 
nition of an impartial title to progressive intelligence. 
Innocence of childhood and ignorance of literal defence 
is the base from which polity is the most effective in the 
dissembling of benevolence. 

Education, the pure influence of spiritual truth and im- 
partial sunlight, is imitated with the most brilliant pre- 
tense to attract followers, for which they are taxed to 
contribute to the betrayal of their confidence. Knowl- 
edge, intelligence, virtue, and morality are directly re- 
vealed, and therefore it is impossible that such principles 
can be literally transmitted from one person to another. 
When it is observed that virtue is silently latent in the 
base of humanity, while vice is being cultivated, Chris- 
tianity will have an opportunity to advance. 



338 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XL. 



THE ECONOMY OF GROWTH. 



"P'DUCATION and Evolution are embraced in the prin- 
^ ciple of growth. It can be affirmed or denied that 
knowledge, virtue and morality are teachable or unteach- 
able principles, but in either event the truth would not be 
involved. A conceived truth and an "acquired truth" 
cannot be embraced except by the quibble of terms. A 
very young child can be taught that acquired truth is 
equivalent to a conceived truth. To mislead a child, 
however, to serve a political purpose, is equally as dis- 
honest as the capture of men too weak to defend them- 
selves, and compel them to serve their captors, which 
was also hidden behind the screen of political necessity. 

No person ever committed a greater crime than to mis- 
lead the innocent, too ignorant to offer any resistance. 
The absence of intent will not spare the child any more 
than it would to drop it from a precipice. For this rea- 
son political influence should be carefully examined to 
prevent being an unintentional instrument in the crippling 
of children. Indifference or a careless experimenting is 
only a shade removed from a deliberate act of depriving 
a child of its natural right. A sentimental controversy 
is not pertinent to a subject so important; for, regard- 
less of the volume of acquired knowledge a person might 
have, he would be a machine in practice if he were in- 
different to the welfare of the child, and more interested 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 339 

in protecting his own sentimental convictions. Results 
are a better evidence of an evil than sentimental author- 
ity, however prominent the source. 

Growth implies a primary condition of imperfection. 
Plants grow, man grows, nations grow, and it has been 
universally recognized from the lowest to the highest 
type of man that only One energy or force is employed 
in growth, in whatever form it is perceived. Political man 
has always intervened in some form or other to obstruct 
growth. It is not necessary to trace his career from a 
"medicine man" to a politician of the modern type. The 
more important feature is to inquire into his being a 
necessity. If he had always been a full grown man he 
was as necessarily perfect as a child's imperfection neces- 
sitates a growth. Results show, however, that he was 
not perfect, but needed growth as well as the child. The 
polity man has been continually condemned from unques- 
tioned proof that he was a dissembler, yet he continually 
appears in some new form of dress. He appears, there- 
fore, to be a mysterious necessity. From a philosophical 
standpoint that evil is a necessity, since goodness may 
be a goal of perfection to stimulate growth, the polity 
man could be classified as a necessary evil to warn youth 
by his example what to shun. It would at least account 
for one method of growth, and treated as a postulate 
even, it would account for the deceptive character of 
written language, which has always been more or less 
controlled by political authority. 

Mechanical tools were first suggested by the direct em- 
pirical conception of progressive intelligence. Man made 
a club, hammer, and also literal words, since which period 
the misuse of the power of mechanism and the acquired 
ability to distort words have never resulted in artificial 



340 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 

instruments ever making a man, or a single thought. Man 
is more than an artificial product. He never can acquire 
enough to equal the conceived knowledge revealed to him 
at birth. Individual man has no occasion to ask his pre- 
decessors whether it is true that "God made man in his 
own image." It is revealed to every child that is born, 
and he has got a clear title to the knowledge of it. Man 
could reason also, previous to the destruction of his spir- 
itual mechanism, and the artificial substituting of indi- 
rect knowledge in place of the direct, equivalent to a 
cripple being compelled to use crutches. 

Providing a person believes he was created in the 
image of God, which is an equal privilege to disbelieve 
from the same conception of thought, it could be realized 
that God never uncreates. If the touch of Spirit is rec- 
ognized by experience to be the advent of a thought, the 
word Man and God relates to the same spiritual prin- 
ciple, therefore it is only from the distortion of artificial 
language that the image of God can be less than God. 
Political man never organized a material force strong 
enough to compel a person to disbelieve he was the image 
of God after once believing it. The very language that 
has been made with the most deliberate purpose to teach 
the superiority of artificial man over the natural or spir- 
itual, bears testimony that a corpse is only the dead body 
of the man. If the dissolution between Spirit and matter 
makes it necessary to name all that was visible "a 
corpse" which was previously termed "a man," the in- 
visible that departed must have been the man. A con- 
ceived thought is more than science or theology ever ana- 
lyzed or psychology ever explained. The thought itself 
is the ideal vision that political man seeks to impress 
upon the plastic mind of youth that he was born in debt 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 34I 

to his ancestry. To be a success, however, the child must 
be carefully watched or he will discover he can make 
visions equally as correct as his ancestors. 

A choice of action is a visible feature of human exist- 
ence requiring no explanation, since experience always 
corroborates the fact. The most eloquent phraseology is 
an empirical example of the impossibility of convincing 
another that experience was not an individual conception. 
It makes the choice between direct and indirect knowl- 
edge the most important feature that a person has to con- 
sider. The choice of Esau was a privilege that no per- 
son can escape from. One can vacillate between the 
direct and indirect and exchange apologies with another, 
trying to hide an error behind the literal sentiment of the 
imperfection of man. If the visible action of man does 
not suggest that a complete conviction of helpless imper- 
fection in his own right, is not an apology for every evil 
act he commits, a proof to the contrary has yet to appear. 
This choice relates to growth ; for the reason that a firm 
conviction of indirect knowledge transcending empirical 
experience establishes a limit to growth at that point. 
Comfortable enjoyment may not be denied to a person 
who chooses the acquiring of the thoughts of others, how- 
ever brilliant, to the neglect of his own. 

A contempt for empirical thoughts betrays a person 
at once, regardless of his volume of acquirements in 
the form of book knowledge, or what would mean the 
same — indirect knowledge. The exclamation: "We 
know it!" only adds to the readiness of man to betray 
his egoism. A child can be taught not to think by con- 
stantly teaching it to learn the thoughts of others, and 
emulate their actions, if it had any desire to be a visible 
success. If a child's success in life depends upon polit- 



342 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

ical control, no amount of philosophical apology for 
the acts of man could prevent social suicide. This is 
not a new idea, but as old as Moses, for he is the first 
man recognized in history as having courage enough 
to defy political authority, and exemplify the empirical 
character of man. The point is, that vjsible growth is 
no comparison to invisible reality that is strictly con- 
fined to experience. 

To teach a child obedience to God is a psychological 
impossibility. It is compelled to obey God from birth 
until the organic body dissolves partnership with Spirit, 
the motor power from which every inner thought is con- 
ceived. The fastidious cannot be convinced that a 
child is born a perfect man, because they would not be 
fastidious had they not permitted their own constructive 
organs of thought to decay from disuse. A person who 
has lost his primitive ability to think, can form no idea 
of an original thought except what he is taught to be- 
lieve was handed down from his predecessors and only 
acquired by political proxy. 

A man may continue to be a good machine after 
growing to a state of perfection, but his insisting upon 
making everybody as perfect as himself, God will not 
permit, since human intelligence is progressive, in dis- 
tinction from the animal instinct of regularity, and 
movement of a machine which depends upon a human 
operator. To obtain a growth of any character, pro- 
gressive intelligence which the touch of Spirit reveals 
to individual man, is forced upon him rather than ac- 
quired by him. Science and philosophy will seek in vain 
to find any other entrance to heaven, than that which 
the touch of Spirit reveals. The evolutionist can point 
to material growth as an evidence of human progress, 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 343 

but when his end in view is to prove the inequahty of 
man and his dependence upon predecessors, he is un- 
just to himself as well as the entire human race. The 
child is just as much exposed, for its evil actions to ex- 
ternal influences, as experience is upon a fall. 

The effort of the body politic to overcome natural 
man or the child, must always be a stern chase or 
growth and education would cease. Tlie proof is sim- 
ple and history records the fact that progressive intelli- 
gence was spiritually revealed to every race on the earth. 
It is more than any man or body of men has accom- 
plished. To dispute it would not prevent the growth 
that is only possible from the progressive feature of in- 
telligence. It would take a lifetime for one person to 
enumerate the organized effort of man to obstruct the 
progressive ambition, that was forced upon entire hu- 
manity at birth. The action of man is the limit of con- 
tention, the main feature of which is the equitable divi- 
sion of labor and authority. 

The persistent effort of writers to prove that man is 
controlled by external influence against his inner con- 
ception, cannot be accomplished until it can be ex- 
plained away, that the lowest type of humanity were in 
possession of a progressive knowledge. It would ap- 
pear from the different schools of philosophy that the 
more developed a man becomes the less he is willing 
to recognize that life is God, and individual man is co- 
existent which entitles him to a recognition of being a 
part of God inasmuch as he is a part of life. It is 
not reasonable for an objector to attempt to quibble 
over the relation of evil, for that is a feature of man's 
acts which are a necessity to growth and progress. Be- 



344 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

sides, evil is no less prominent in so-called cultured man 
than the uncultured. 

If man is not a part of God there is no recorded 
proof that any person ever revealed to another what 
Spirit revealed to man. It is a mere subterfuge of lit- 
eral words politically prepared for the purpose of dis- 
torting them, for any person to assume a specific author- 
ity superseding the impartial touch of Spirit that every 
unit of humanity has an honest title to and proved 
by the organic action of the One touch, that all other 
pretended authorities in comparison have been political 
myths. Attraction is the first principle of growth and 
also the first principle of evil. Responsibility is always 
a subsequent feature of experience and when external 
tuition succeeds in controlling the inner conception of 
the touch of Spirit direct, the person so controlled will 
cease to be a factor of human growth even if he is able 
to commit to memory the entire literature of the world. 
It concerns the private judgment of the individual, 
whether he will be led by the policy of attractions, or 
follow the promptings of the inner authority which can 
always be depended upon as the voice of God. 

The institution of person is prior to any political in- 
stitution, or gregarious flocks, that were ever organ- 
ized on earth; besides the personal institution is a full 
grown product of divine origin, while collective bodies 
are of artificial structure, both temporal and subjective 
to growth. The babe is better protected than what so- 
ciety or the state can overcome. The babe is a spirit- 
ual proposition against the material attraction of so- 
ciety. The polity of literal authority may assert to the 
end of time that the babe is dependent for its growth 
upon society, but the assertion to be true should be 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 345 

reversed for society and the state both are strictly de- 
pendent upon the babe. Society obtains all its virtue 
from the babe, while it has nothing to offer in exchange 
but evil attractions. 

The very privilege to think is a universal birthright, 
but it is possible and also obvious from general obser- 
vation, that a person can be artificially taught that a 
product commands its producer. To the extent that ar- 
tificial attractions can control the thoughts, to the same 
extent natural thoughts will be viewed with contempt. 
Thus in the paraphrase of literature Nature is "vulgar" 
and the artificial is "refined." Growth permits of re- 
finement but in the absence of honesty and natural mo- 
rality, the artificial becomes "vulgar," while the natural 
remains sublime. 

The knowledge that determines the relation of Na- 
ture to Art, or the product of God with the indirect 
product of man, is the source of all learning. Hence 
when the rose in its vanity despises its root and with 
contempt abandons it, decay will result, except for a 
persistent dependence upon art to strictly exclude Na- 
ture and knowledge, thus mistaking ignorance for suc- 
cess, and passive beauty a finality in exchange for knowl- 
edge and progressive intelligence, which could only be 
rediscovered by accepting the natural again. 

The really beautiful is invisible to the devotee of ex- 
ternal attraction. The two principles are never corre- 
lative, for the choice of either as predominant will ex- 
clude the other. One might as well attempt to paint 
the sweetness of sugar, or the song of a bird, as to trans- 
mit a sense of the beautiful. A correspondence of ex- 
periences, literally conveyed, is the nearest approach to 
a sense of virtue and truth — the sense of being — God — 



346 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 

of which Spirit, every Hving thing is in touch. Growth 
is an improved method of correspondence; it is not de- 
termined by the deflection of relative words. Things 
do not grow at the command of man either individually 
or collectively. The limit of man's authority is to ob- 
struct growth by contending against the equity of dis- 
tribution. 

Science discovers, philosophy demonstrates, and art 
executes, but growth embracing education and evolu- 
tion both, is a, result derived from the Divine revela- 
tion of progress, bestowed individually upon the en- 
tire human race, which experience has the exclusive 
privilege to determine: No man ever knew so much 
but what experience could teach him some more; to 
admit it, however, would be more than his environ- 
ments could compel him to do. Moral courage is the 
highest type of man, regardless of species or artificial 
acquirements, and experience is the sole arbiter. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 347 



CHAPTER XLI. 

THE SAGACITY OF EDUCATION. 

'T^HE political interposition between intuition and tui- 
-'■ tion presents the particulars of dispute between phi- 
losophers and scholars. They, as a body, have never 
reached a desTee of concession to the extent even of 
a postulate, that intuition was a common revelation, 
over which tuition has no legitimate authority, that is, 
that tuition has no moral authority over the supreme 
conception of knowledge, which should be recognized as 
God, intuitively revealed to every unit of humanity. 
The reason that the power to act and the act itself is dis- 
tinct, is because a revealed power does not include a 
knowledge of the consequences. The effort to instruct 
a person the consequences of an act prior to the act, 
would be absurd, because it depends upon the action as 
positively as that knowledge is revealed to a child from 
a fall. That evil consequence can be determined by a 
person of more experience than a child, will not justify 
the authority of tuition in depriving the child of its con- 
ceived revelation. 

The polity of tuition has always been to supersede in- 
tuition. Its temporal success has also been equally as 
continuous in obstructing, and often destroying the will 
of the child to the extent at least that the attractions of 
tuition gain complete control, when intuitive reason 
would be forsaken and even preachers, teachers, and 



348 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

philosophers appear sincere in holding the false position 
that tuition supersedes intuition. To point out the mis- 
takes that writers make in treating the relation of tuition 
to intuition, or direct knowledge compared with the in- 
direct, would be to impose upon human intelligence that 
is as absolute as God. The following writers dispute 
themselves more effectually than it could be pointed out. 
Besides, if any person could not see it without it being 
pointed out in detail, it would only prove that such a 
person has superseded his own thoughts by accepting the 
thoughts of others. That is, if a person sincerely be- 
lieves that tuition transcends intuition, it would be folly 
to dispute him, yet this is the very point that evolution- 
ists attempt to prove ; practically that experience is sub- 
ordinate to objective intelligence. Happily, however, the 
proof has never reached a stage above theory, or that 
the letter transcends Spirit. "The letter killeth, but the 
Spirit giveth life." 

Spencer, Drummond. Compayre, Hopkins, Sully, Hal- 
lack, and G. Standly Hall are prominent writers of text- 
books more or less used in public schools. These gen- 
tlemen hold practically the same general position, that 
the child is subordinate to society, with the supposition 
that everybody knows what the word "society" relates 
to. It is convenient, however, to use the word in one 
sense in discussion, and still another in teaching; it 
merely shows the treacherous character of words, and 
how accommodating they are to reach any end desired. 
The only exception is the voice of God in correspond- 
ence with the voice of the babe. 

Every person has a clear title to determine by experi- 
ence whether his intuition prompts his actions, or ex- 
ternal tuition. Private judgment will not permit of one 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 349 

person judging another upon a strictly personal privi- 
lege. It is necessary, therefore, to distinguish between 
the man and the act of man, since in the absence of such 
distinction no correspondence could occur between man 
and man. To be explicit upon a subject so important: 
The correspondence between God and man does not sig- 
nify an act of man, or to avoid a fastidious objection, a 
premeditated act is not involved in the correspondence 
of God and man. There is not a single thread for tui- 
tion to rest upon without disputing this sacred principle. 

Correspondence between man and man involves pre- 
meditation of action, but for which, progressive intelli- 
gence would be a blank. That this apparent imperfection 
between man and man does not correspond with the per- 
fect correspondence between God and man, is accounted 
for by the figurative fall of the child, the greatest miracle 
that God ever revealed to man, the consciousness of him- 
self, and the privilege to act at the command of the will. 
Experience is the monitor over which no external act of 
an object has any moral authority whatever. The polity 
of man is evidence enough that the acts of man are dis- 
tinct from the man in the image of perfection. 

The vagaries of words will account for a multitude of 
human vagaries. Impossible words of a polity character 
signifying enforced obedience are, teach, master, and 
tyrant. Learning was formally defined as teaching, but 
modern etymologists were obliged to recognize that no 
person could possibly learn another anything. The word 
"teach" in the sense of enforcement is just as obsolete as 
when it was applied to the defining of learning, for, in 
the light of such words as education, preaching and ex- 
ample, "to teach a child" or attempt to "learn a child" 
are equally significant in the effort to overcome intuition 



350 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

by the political invention of tuition, or a system of edu- 
cation for the purpose of instructing a child to abandon 
its correspondence with its Creator, and recognize an 
allegiance to political authority. From a moral stand- 
point it would be impossible for political influence to 
have any authority over the child, but visible results are 
better evidence than philosophical ideals that depend 
upon versatile words. 

Education proper is virtue itself; it suggests growth 
and evolution, but when a person can believe that a child 
can be taught to think and then taught what to think, it 
presents a contradiction of terms that a person making 
them gives evidence that he knows what to think, but 
how to think has escaped his memory. The impossibil- 
ity of compelling a plant or child to grow forms the base 
of study for a sincere person to exercise his thoughts 
upon and determine for himself whether he was think- 
ing intuitively or tuitively. If a person recognizes that 
neither a child or plant can be compelled to grow, the 
political effort in seeking to compel a child to grow sug- 
gests the thought that the effort is disguised for some 
motive, and if the effort is to enforce an action, it must 
result in obstructing the action, inasmuch as to compel 
a child to do' what it is perfectly willing to do. It is only 
to such teachers as feel a sense of moral obligation, that 
the petition of a child appeals, since a fastidious teacher 
will not give his attention to anything but his own crys- 
talized convictions. The political usurpation of secular 
education has for its end the supplanting of domesticity 
and the substitution of state authority in its place. 

If results have not reached a point of serious observa- 
tion, conditions are rapidly moving in that direction. A 
plant even can be prevented from growing, but to com- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 35 1 

pel it to grow is impossible, and if a child is born with a 
progressive intelligence, any act of political compulsion 
can mean no less than impairment, if not a complete des- 
truction of the progressive feature of human intelligence. 
The phenomenal success of Christianity over any other 
religion preceding it, was due to the preaching and exem- 
plification of Christ. The spirtual interpretation of the 
Scriptures needs no quibbling over the words, "preach- 
ing and teaching," since the main feature is, there are 
neither polities or compulsion connected with Christi- 
anity proper. The political effort to compel people to 
become Christians was a failure, simply because man in 
spiritual correspondence with God, always transcends 
man in his material correspondence. An act being neces- 
sary to reveal the consciousness of the will and prior 
to it, the responsibility is in the act rather than the man. 

From a compulsory point of view, what reason can 
the supporters of political effort in connection with edu- 
cation, justify the use of force, when it has always 
proved to be a failure in religious matters? That it is 
impossible to teach, when it is considered as a force, 
does not prevent the polity in attempting to do it. That 
this effort obstructs growth may be denied or affirmed ; 
in either case results will assert themselves, but if re- 
sults were anticipated economically, it would at least 
spare the child from being the victim of experiment. 

There is no circumstance in life more unfortunate 
than cultivated egoism, it betrays itself in an attractive 
effort to hide it ; it differs with empiricism in being intu- 
tively acquired, while empiricism is natural intuition. A 
school teacher can be a victim of policy and so methodi- 
cally trained, as to be irresponsible for the present ab- 
stract system of education. A machine strictness to the 



352 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

exact letter of authority is a disregard for the sanctity 
of education. The private judgment of a school teacher 
is just as much a personality as any person who has 
legal authority over a teacher's methods. It is to the 
moral sense that personal judgment appeals rather than 
any obligation to political authority. It might be a ques- 
tion in a teacher's mind whether political authority was 
exercised over public schools or not, or whether politi- 
cal officials exercised any moral obligation in view of 
their legal authority. When the private judgment of a 
teacher reaches a conclusion, the child's cross-question- 
ing is to be encountered, and when it is forbidden to 
ask questions, what the child thinks about it in silence is 
a private judgment also. 

The distinction between polity teaching and the sanc- 
tity of education is a self conviction that betrays the in- 
congruity to a child. The word teach implies the power 
to impart knowledge which the child will constantly in- 
sist upon disputing until it is so thoroughly taught to 
stop thinking about anything except what it was taught 
to think, when the will is practically subdued or broken 
and the child is declared to be a modern success. The 
distortion of words to promote a desired end, which is 
more political than a sincere purpose to improve the 
child, is evident when the words "teach" and "educa- 
tion" are defined and explained to the confidential child. 
In moral truthfulness no teacher other than the mere 
echo of text books, and thus exhibiting himself as an 
educated machine, could advance any other apology for 
obstructing the growth of a child, than the fact that he 
did not know any better. 

When a teacher defines his own calling as "imparting 
knowledge" and then denies it by calling himself an edu- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 353 

cator, when he was compelled from his knowledge of 
books to explain to a child that he was "leading knowl- 
edge forth," such an incongruity of terms could scarcely 
escape his notice, even if he had only a touch of logical 
sense. In mechanical parlance it would be termed a 
"dead center," for when two objects meet of equal force, 
the result would be two objects at rest. If the teacher, 
however, as such, was more forceful than he was as an 
educator, he might "impart" more than was "led forth." 
It would be a chance in favor of the child, to develop his 
own natural intelligence. 

To explain this incongruity as a political necessity, on 
the ground of the ignorance of both parent and child, 
for fear they would become a "menace to society" would 
change the situation to one of morality, and if a single 
person felt that the protection of society was more im- 
portant than moral obligaions, it would prove that the 
end jusified the means, and innocent children must be 
sacrificed for fear they would learn the polity of evil for 
which their predecessors were more remarkable, than 
for moral obligations. The Truth is a principle both 
simple and searching, it requires no volume of learning 
to discover it in comparison to the vast amount needed 
to escape from it. When a person is convinced that pos- 
terity is in debt to its ancestors for a knowledge of 
Truth, it would be idle to dispute him; he gives distinct 
evidence that he has no comprehension of a universal 
revelation of progressive intelligence. It is only the semi- 
educated on lines of polity that could sincerely hold such 
a narrow view of education. 

Education would be impossible but for the intuitive 
inspiration to obtain it. The child begins to learn as soon 
as it becomes conscious, and political effort is equally 



354 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

prompt to deprive it of the opportunity to learn. Ex- 
perience being the very essence of learning, and no man 
ever discovered a method of teaching experience to an 
adult man, and much less to a child. It follows that po- 
litical effort is more concerned in obstructing the natu- 
ral intelligence of the child than promoting it. The 
child learns to creep and also to walk, which no amount 
of instruction could teach it to do, yet wisdom would or 
the pretence of it, distort the relative character of words 
and seek to convince the child as soon as it could com- 
prehend words that its inner intelligenc was imparted 
to it by external objects. 

The educator who would also claim he was a teacher, 
stands, according to the relation of words, as either a 
dissembler or that he does not know the difference be- 
tween a teacher and an educator, thus admitting in the 
presence of educated man that he was neither an edu- 
cator or a teacher. 

Education and teaching are in constant dispute, rep- 
resenting the activity of life as between good and evil — 
truth and theory — virtue and vice — moral conduct and 
base conduct, also the most important difference is be- 
tween direct revelation and indirect. Education repre- 
sents all that is true, because it recognizes the inner in- 
telligence ; it does not assume to impart knowledge, but 
admits without quibble that the word education signifies 
"to lead forth." Now the duplicity of definitions can be 
observed in trying to give it imparting qualities also, but 
like a horse that can pull and back, it is never pulling 
when it is backing. 

As a distinction of motive or end in view, education 
has a moral influence for the good of the child. While 
teaching is directed by polity with an end in view of 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 355 

apologizing for evil as a necessity, while it tries to be- 
come the equal of God in imparting knowledge, by an 
eloquent display of material effort, trying to explain 
how morality can be brushed away as an intruder upon 
the pleasures of life. The principle of teaching is more 
directly in competition with education by an ideal com- 
parison of attraction that deceives the credulous ; for 
teaching in its strict sense is like theories that illuminate 
the desires and expectations, that education always dem- 
onstrates to be false. Because polity must be conserva- 
tive for self-preservation, is no reason why moral cour- 
age should not dispute its passiveness with David sim- 
plicity. Polity is always ready to make war against 
progress. Timorous people also are conserved with 
fear, but the one principle that is revealed to entire hu- 
manity is the sense of progress. Relative words are the 
product of knowledge, however much the ability of man 
is able to distort them in the interest of polity to obstruct 
the very principle that it pretends to impart. 

The one opponent of polity is empiricism, a principle 
that can only be obstructed from a pretended apotheosis 
of man, in declaring his ability to impart knowledge. No 
person can escape from the observation of his surround- 
ings. "By their fruit ye shall know them." No one can 
impart to another a sense of moral duty, or impart a 
method of escape from punishment, by the mere distor- 
tion of relative words, for the necessary ability to dis- 
tort words is an admission that the distorter is seeking 
to disguise evil in the dress of goodness. To attempt to 
hide behind polity betrays the effort to hide something. 
A great many examples could be shown, but literature 
is crowded with them already. Example, influence, and 
practice are the main features of education, and moral 



356 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

obligations are as personal as responsibility which the 
nascent perception of a child cannot be entirely pre- 
vented from observing. An obedient "citizen" will never 
be evolved by the distortion of words, with an apparent 
purpose of polity and dogmatic discussion. 

Human progress is a better evidence that direct 
knowledge is the very touch of God revealed at birth, 
than any books that were ever printed. It should never 
be carelessly brushed aside that the act is not the Power 
to act, and every child that is born is a redeemer of the 
sins of its predecessors. To deny this is to deny the 
Spirit of the Bible, and stand convicted in a personal 
presence, that no one can escape from. 



CHAPTER XLH. 

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. 

f^ OVERNMENT proper is protective and any feature 
^ of instruction is a usurpation of authority, or any 
instruction that supersedes that of the parent. This is not 
a theory or doctrine, but a moral right directly revealed 
by the sense of love for offspring. No other person can 
possibly feel the interest in posterity that the parent 
feels. From the most primitive form of government it 
no sooner possessed the power by uniting a collective 
body for the purpose of protection, than the chief or a 
coterie of persons acting the ruler has appropriated a 
greater benefit to themselves than was possible for the 
whole. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 357 

The history of slavery, mythology, the feudal system, 
and the divine right of kings, are matters of history 
showing distinctly, that except for the protection of oiT- 
spring by the parent, the greed of man would have de- 
stroyed the human race before the Christian era had 
been reached. It also shows that whatever apologies 
have been advanced for the conduct of our ancestry, no 
government has ever existed in such perfect correspond- 
ence with the government of God as the innocent babe. 

In proportion to a more general distribution of literal 
education and recognition of personal freedom, slavery 
and tyranny are becoming modified. It should be no- 
ticed however, that becoming better and being better 
presents an indefinite difference between the two princi- 
ples. Because education is the prime factor of progress 
and civilization, it will not justify a collective body in 
seeking to control such a universal privilege. The 
effort to control education reflects an object of obstruct- 
ing the general principle. Because parents can be misled 
by reason of their anxiety for the future welfare of their 
children, shows conclusively that any collective body in- 
sisting upon it, has a motive other than their welfare. 
Even if a person sincerely believes that enforced instruc- 
tion is necessary for well-being of the child, it must be 
believed in disregard of the past, and the conspicuous 
results, that are constantly developing. A few abstracts 
from such a general principle as education embraces, 
will not apologize for the multitude of disappointments 
due to the misleading instruction forced upon the plastic 
brain of youth. 

From a standpoint of moral equity every person is a 
miniature government, that precedes any artificial form 
that was ever instituted. The Golden Rule, followed by 



358 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

the Declaration of Independence of the American Col- 
onies recognized the empirical fact that personality was 
a sacred institution, but the relation of dominant inter- 
ests was just as much a factor of one form of govern- 
ment as another. The perfidy of man is not in equity 
chargeable to the innocence of the babe, or the fact that 
he must be an integral institution, in no sense obligated 
to any collective body, any more than each of its constit- 
uent parts. Freedom of movement is just as essential 
as birth ; the babe has no choice prior to the conscious- 
ness derived from a fall. It has no protection from be- 
coming a victim of dominant interests, except for the 
natural protection of the parent. 

A collective body declaring itself to be a Representa- 
tive Government, has no moral right to assume the in- 
struction of children by pretending it to be for the wel- 
fare of the child, when dominant interests are the sole 
purpose. If such purpose is not a fact, it must be ad- 
mitted that dominant interests are treated as more im- 
portant to be preserved than the moral integrity of the 
child. Allowing the child to be wholly to blame for 
struggling to exist, what proof is there that he is proven 
by the instructions of his predecessors ? Unless the child 
is thoroughly trained to accept the example of his pred- 
ecessors as a necessity to a respectable existence, he 
must observe the inconsistency of collective bodies as- 
suming to be exempt from moral obligations, simply 
because they were a collective power. 

The coalescense of polity with moral integrity has 
never been remarkable for permanent success. It should 
at least attract attention, and if a remedy cannot be im- 
mediately successful, the individual relation to a Rep- 
resentative Government is always a personal presence. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 359 

The person is yet to be born that can be justly held re- 
sponsible for an act over which he has no authority. It 
was simple under a theocratic form of government to 
justify the subjugation of the entire people of a nation, 
but to imitate the authority of theocracy and seek to main- 
tain it by enforced instruction in the public schools, is 
an effort to conserve the exclusive advantage from an 
indifference to God's power, rather than an honest effort 
to patronize it on the ground that God is responsible for 
political acts. 

All governments are and always have been controlled 
by polity, the ultra learned being the ruling power. 
Whatever name is applied to a government does not 
change the disposition of men in authority to oppress the 
weak and patronize the strong. Philosophers and writ- 
ers of every character have tried to apologize for cul- 
tured vice by charging it to depraved innocence. It is 
yet a complexed question to determine how the multi- 
tude can be kept in ignorance of their personality which 
was revealed to each, by the same "breath of life" that 
all depended upon. Since the Israelites demonstrated 
the possibility of popular freedom in opposition to po- 
litical power, every government that has existed since 
has used its entire force to suppress any form of edu- 
cation that recognized or suggested a common inheri- 
tance to the bounties of Nature. The effort to force 
education upon the common people after all the nations 
of the earth have contended for thousands of years to 
prevent it, shows conclusively that the people were al- 
ways willing to be educated, and there must be some po- 
litical motive in using force to impart to the common 
people what they have been fighting for years to obtain. 

It is analogous to the Roman Empire trying to pre- 



360 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

serve its political power by recognizing the Christians, 
after they had persisted in exercising a common freedom 
in face of persecution for three hundred years. The ef- 
fort of the Empire to thrust itself between the Christians 
and God was a failure of their political power, and an- 
other victory for popular freedom. Freedom, Chris- 
tianity, Democracy and Education are all related to a 
common principle against which political power is just 
as antagonistic as Pharaoh was in trying to prevent the 
escape of the Israelites. 

If this is not an analogous comparison, what apology 
has the present political power to offer against its effort 
to thrust itself between the natural desire for an educa- 
tion, and the inspired privilege revealed to every human 
being? If experience does not reveal this principle, then 
the "breath of life" was breathed into the body of man in 
vain. There is no difference between a so-called demo- 
cratic form of government and a Theocracy when a po- 
litical power is equally as able to subjugate the common 
people in either case. A political effort to explain that 
the people rule, would be a misnomer, for if the people 
ruled it would be no political concern to explain it. 

In a spiritual sense the people always rule, subject 
only to the government of God, but in a political sense 
only a small part of the people rule the whole, for the 
sole benefit of the part that rules, which part is called 
representative. Hence if a Representative Government is 
the acme of governing principle, it would still remain to 
be explained what the relation is between a political gov- 
ernment and the government of God. Since secular edu- 
cation has become divorced from religion, or to the ex- 
tent that polity can control the situation, moral govern- 
ment is more conspicuous among the so-called "lower 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 361 

type" of humanity. It would appear, therefore, that the 
"survival of the fittest" would be those who were the 
least fitted by political authority. 

It seems to escape the observation of political and so- 
cial writers that there is a government above political 
control. The enthusiast devoted to secular education, 
should study the situation carefully, for there has been 
no parallel in history when a political government aban- 
doned religious education, and adopted a secular form, 
not but what secular education can be moral also, but 
the desperate strait that political power is put to by not 
being able to control religious education, is becoming too 
obvious to escape notice altogether. The period of the 
Renaissance might be cited as a parallel to the present 
rage for secular education, but it offers no encourage- 
ment from a moral point of view. The present similar- 
ity to the Renaissance relates more to the spirit of free- 
dom than any justification of political authority in trying 
to hide its duplicity in forcing the natural desire for edu- 
cation to a degree of expectation, that something can be 
obtained for nothing. It presents such an incongruity 
of forcing secular education upon the common people as 
an indirect method of counteracting the freedom of re- 
ligion, which political power cannot reach by reason of 
the Federal Constitution. 

The situation appeals more to the individual than to 
educational institutions, as each have a polity of compe- 
tition, by reason of a license that is legally withheld from 
the public school. That is, the freedom of religion is 
excluded from the public schools except the individual 
privilege of moral example at the option of a teacher. 
That secular education has no remarkable record for 
promoting moral obligations, there must be some hidden 



362 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

reason for the political interest in compulsory secular 
education regardless of its conflict with religious liberty. 
The spirit of freedom is very progressive, however, but 
it has never been included in political aggrandizement. 

Man received the "breath of life" directly, there was 
no mediator or representative to convey the title to ex- 
istence. The babe scarcely learns to breathe success- 
fully before he falls into a condition of consciousness. 
It represents the obstruction between the first respira- 
tion and the last. A representative between the babe 
and its Creator frequently insists, for the welfare of the 
babe, that its first respiration shall also be its last. 
While it establishes the possibility of a mediator be- 
tween the babe's clear title to exist, and its so called 
environments, it is a weak argument to attempt to jus- 
tify the necessity of a representative in behalf of a babe, 
when it is inspired with a pre-requisite to a continued 
existence ; while the limit of surrounding objects, in- 
cluding any mediator or representative, is to deprive him 
of it. The point is, a representative can destroy the 
life of a babe, but cannot restore it or convey it. Al- 
lowing a mediator can assist the babe to preserve its 
own existence, the position of a mediator is negative, in 
seeking to prove the dependence of the babe upon sub- 
authority after its direct communion with God is such 
a self-evident fact. 

There is no moral ground for a representative author- 
ity to stand upon between the babe and its Creator. This 
being recognized by a personal presence necessary to 
deny it, equivalent to a person refusing to admit that he 
existed while he was able to deny it. From this stand- 
point representative bodies in the earlier days of civil- 
ized growth could be considered : They first assumed 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 363 

to be acting by Divine appointment, when every man, 
woman and child were subjugated by the mere power 
to do it. No apology for such representation can be 
offered, for the ability to do it was a self conviction 
that they knew it to be a fraud. 

Ignorance is a virtue, in comparison to the justifica- 
tion of vice and the subjugation of the weak, that mod- 
ern evolutionists try to apologize for in the interest of 
science and progress. If any persons believe they were 
improved by subjugation, or that they were specifically 
privileged to improve others, it would have been less 
unfortunate if their first breath of life had also been 
their last. A sincere attachment to prerogatives proves 
what is possible to be forced upon a child in the name 
of improvement, and how completely it can become 
subjugated by the political enforcement of abstract ed- 
ucation, to the extent also of convincing the child that 
it might have been a criminal if it had been permitted 
to exercise the natural intelligence that was breathed 
into its body at birth by a common Creator. Fastidious 
people are prone to ask: Would you permit a child to 
grow up without education? It would be more difficult 
to prevent a child from being educated, than to attract 
it by false promises that lie at the bottom of all represen- 
tations prompted by polity. 

Education proper is equally as defensive as aggres- 
sion, for that reason education should be equally as 
free as religion. It is the political perfidy that usurps 
the control of the one to the exclusion of the other in 
the name of democracy, and not unusual to defend the 
principle in the name of Christianity, the incongruity 
of which should be apparent. Religion and education 
relate to sublime principles that were directly revealed 



364 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

to human consciousness in common. It is a matter of 
history that religion and some form of education was 
employed to awe the innocent and credulous into a state 
of subjection. It is not the present purpose to dispute 
the necessity of some system of subjugation, for it is 
common knowledge that every person that is born must 
come in contact with some object before he could be- 
come conscious of any subjugation even. This contact 
was construed by the ancient scribes as a "fall from 
paradise." It accounts for a great volume of mystery 
that the ancients were famous for. It accounts also 
for a government by proxy or a Representative Govern- 
ment which is practically the same. It at least has the 
same object in view, but the present method is radically 
different, for the ancient representative of the populace 
made it a study to suppress education. At the present 
time when it would be folly to suppress education, the 
political effort is to control its ethical feature, to the 
extent that the obligation to the State should supersede 
moral obligations. The feature of subjugation is just 
as much a present motive as it ever was in the past, 
but it is so sugar-coated with attraction, that the men- 
tal wrecks will persist in believing that compulsory edu- 
cation is civilizing the world. 

Morality and freedom are principles that diplomacy 
and polity will not subdue in the present age of reading, 
and however careful text books are prepared to convince 
the populace that a Representative Government can so 
voice the entire people as to make them all believe that 
it is a Democracy because it can be represented as such, 
and taught to credulous innocence that it is a fact. 

It is an imposition upon mere natural intelligence for 
the advocate of a Representative Government to claim 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 365 

the people rule, which is a mere sentiment for the reason 
that all institute bodies are more devoted to their own 
specific benefit than they are to recognize a remote pos- 
sibility that the populace will ever rule when the "laborer 
would be worthy of his hire." It is the very point, that 
representatives and mediators always insist upon, that 
youth must be so trained that he will never be compe- 
tent to represent himself. The attractions of repre- 
sentations and public notoriety are made so brilliant in 
comparison to honest obscurity, it would appear that the 
government of God would be subdued by modern polity, 
but the man must be severely intoxicated with modern- 
ism to believe it. Representative bodies cannot hide 
the incongruity of being a law to themselves, and decree 
penalties to those they claim to represent, for acts, of 
which they exempt themselves from liability. 

That representatives are no more than human, needs 
no comment, but it will be remote when the people rule 
politically to the extent they rule spiritually, if youth 
can be taught to aspire to become a representaive man 
and command those he pretends to represent. 

The history of chattel slavery that was politically en- 
forced shows the relation of the representative man to 
the man represented. The people will rule when they 
have the courage, the fugitive slave had, by liberating 
himself individually, for the person has yet to be bom 
that can be subjugated without personal consent, ex- 
cept he is first deprived of his birthright. That is, if 
the modern form of slavery is a moral virtue, freedom 
is a crime, empaling the freedom of religion by the 
polity of compulsory education. 



366 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

PROGRESSIVE INTELLIGENCE. 

EVERY blade of grass and every living thing reaches 
out to whatever offers the greatest attraction. Intelli- 
gence is an individual principle, as much so as the 
breath of life. In animal life it is limited to a strict 
uniformity confined to species, no progressive improve- 
ment in the obtaining of food is noticeable, yet the in- 
tuition of attraction is a common inspiration; in the 
absence of which no external object can impart this 
principle, in the sense that food is the object of attrac- 
tion since the limit of food is to sustain the continuity 
of life, it having no power to establish it. It has always 
been the effort of philosophers to deny the individuality 
of life and prove its subjective dependence upon the 
polity of its collective surroundings. 

The inspiration to progress is a universal privilege 
which is determined by the individual experience of con- 
sciousness. The communion of Spirit revealed individ- 
ually from the "breath of life" is a condition apart, 
separated by an impassable gulf from any institution of 
polity. Polity, therefore, is not related to spiritual in- 
spiration, however diligently the learned men of the past 
strove to make it so. The progress of America proves, 
excepting the power of written language to be quibbled 
with, that polity is confined to visible things, and the 
sacredness of personality was not only individual, but 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 367 

the only source by which spiritual inspiration was ever 
revealed to man. 

Whatever objection a person, or any body of persons, 
can make by recognizing what the Bible distinctly re- 
cords, will not affect the relation a straw, between the 
spiritual government and a political government, for 
freedom and progressive intelligence are breathed into 
every human being at birth, as experience and con- 
sciousness affirms. If this could be considered a danger- 
ous doctrine to teach, it could be replied that what the 
"breath of life" reveals to the human being is no doc- 
trine to be taught to anyone. Besides the inspiration of 
progress was never imparted to a single human being 
by any external polity. It can scarcely be more danger- 
ous for posterity to assert their spiritual freedom than 
it has been in the past ; besides it must be due to ex- 
treme timidity to imagine that the wheels of progress 
ever turn back. The appeal to fear is too attractive for 
a sudden burst of courage to endanger the equipoise of 
progress. The greatest danger is the attractions that 
appear to be the only haven of safety, which in pro- 
portion to the attraction, one is led to destruction as 
sure as night follows day. 

What is, rather than what has been, is more important 
to observe. No apology for the past will justify a con- 
tinuance of past methods when results of teaching an 
exemption from personal obligajtions are so glaring. 
That it was possible for a few in the past to live in idle- 
ness, or as a non-producer of the necessities of life, is 
no comparison with the present. The necessity for food 
entails a necessity to labor; someone must earn it, and 
for a person to deprive the laborer of the fruit of his 
earnings was in ancient times considered more honor- 



368 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

able than to earn it. It is tedious to read the apologies 
for the past with a reflection upon the present, that the 
necessity for what is termed culture justifies appropri- 
ating the earnings of the uncultured. There is no more 
difference in the end desired at the present time than at 
any previous period ; it is only in the method. 

The "breath of life" precedes the "fall" which is es- 
sential to progress, and the contact with an object es- 
tablishes experience. The letter follows as a shadow 
from whatever object it is cast. That is, the march of 
progress is led by experience, followed by the letter and 
symbol, that never precedes experience. A fact that 
any one can deny, which would be less difficult than for 
the individual denying it, to prove that his own experi- 
ence was led by the letter of knowledge rather than 
knowledge direct. Equivalent to a declaration that a 
man follows and obeys his own shadow. The wisdom 
of all ages has tried to reverse this principle and dem- 
onstrate that the language of speech, and later the 
letter, leads the march of progress. No one need take 
the trouble to dispute it, who has courage enough to try 
the experiment, for he will soon learn what progress 
means compared to passive intelligence. 

The delusion is at present dependent upon increased 
attractions to obtain followers, upon which it depends 
for sustenance. Greed, oppression, and the letter are all 
on the material side of existence, and being visible they 
present greater attraction than the visibility of spirit, 
the communion with which, being always individual 
by reason that the title to the "breath of life" is 
not transferable. It presents a complexed difficulty 
for two persons to commune, unless experience is rec- 
ognized as the leading principle of knowledge. Such 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 369 

exparte evidence as maintaining that intelligence is ever 
indirectly imparted to a human being would destroy the 
effectiveness of experience in asserting its spiritual auth- 
ority to contend such a passive condition ; the very limita- 
tion of progress. Intelligence is not progress any more 
than an egg is a hen, for the reason that progress is active 
and intelligence is passive. This assertion could be read- 
ily objected to if it was held to be a theory or a doc- 
t'rine, but experience is neither the one nor the other, for 
a person might feel that he was progressive by reason 
of his ability to wear borrowed acquirements of an im- 
proved pattern. It would not relate to either experi- 
ence or progress from the spiritual or real standpoint. 

Light would be equivalent to passive annihilation ; 
except for its companion darkness, it would have no 
more progressive feature than empty space. The shad- 
ow, however, should never be mistaken for the object 
from which it is cast, and when it is observed how 
convenient it is to hide in the shadow of a leader, it is 
not strange that timid people always feel safer em- 
braced within the shadow of some object rather than 
to make the effort to cast a shadow of their own. While 
this is figurative it might be a profitable study to con- 
sider whether light revealed more than darkness hid. 
It also presents to experience how simple the real ob- 
stacles to progress are, after fear is conquered, and 
false attractions are discovered to be delusions. 

The observation that fear can be imparted or taught 
to a hundred persons who could be held with scarcely 
any effort to a strict attention, while to inspire a single 
one with courage is important to consider, when the 
relation between the immediate and the mediate is the 
end in view. Because science and theory can wander 



370 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

in space with the freedom of ideal imagination, con- 
tending with each other in search of means to justify 
the transcending of experience by human thought, they 
reach out too far, while the range of speculation cannot 
ascend a fraction above their own experience. When 
science discovers a method of analyzing Spirit, love, 
feeling and the desire to progress, the struggle for ex- 
istence will cease to be a burden, and life would be an 
endless dream. If a person cannot discover the omni- 
potence of God as revealed to himself, how could he 
expect to discover the same revelation bestowed upon 
another ? 

The willingness of a person to recognize that he is 
only a part of the whole, equally dependent upon the 
breath of life in common with every being in his own 
image, it would make the burden of existence lighter in 
proportion as he eased his anxious thoughts trying to 
find some one who could not only carry their own burden, 
but relieve him also. The communion of Spirit is so 
strictly empirical, that it presents a gulf as impassable 
as that between Spirit and Matter, and the proof of it is 
a personal experience with one's own experience. The 
inconsistent sentiment of justifying oppression with a 
proclaimed purpose of improving the oppressed merely 
hides the selfishness that prompts the act. When slavery 
was the rule and freedom a rare exception, it was justi- 
fied as a necessity to the march of progress. If the dis- 
position of progress had not been a part of human or- 
ganism, it would be false to the most apologetic system 
of logic, to claim that men eager to appropriate the 
labor of others for their own benefit, were also eager 
to bestow freedom upon men in their own image, by 
denying to them the equal opportunity to progress. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 37I 

The ability of men learned in written language, are 
able to SO distort words as to make it appear that the 
slave was given his freedom by the humane action of his 
so-called superiors ; it is made to appear true, while in 
fact it is false. It is not an uncommon question asked 
in a derisive manner: How could it be possible for the 
slaves to liberate themselves? They were liberated by 
the inborn disposition to progress, as demonstrated by 
a common disposition in the most primitive man. 
The effort of the more developed to compel the lesser 
developed to admit an obligation to whoever claims to 
be their superior, proves conclusively that man with 
greedy expectations, is just as ready as ever to enslave 
whoever can be compelled to submit. 

People extremely anxious to protect their own inter- 
ests, and then apologize for the means employed, would 
not take kindly to a suggestion that progress was a sup- 
plement to intelligence of a universal character, mark- 
ing the distinction of humanity from animal life. De- 
grees of the force do not change the spiritual relation 
of the intrinsic character of progressive intelligence 
considered apart from matter and polity. Opinions are 
an equal privilege since personal contract labor has 
succeeded chattel slavery ; this is only sentimental for 
even cultivated man gives no evidence as a rule, that the 
disposition of oppression is mitigated by culture as di- 
rected by polity. It is an observation also, that progres- 
sive intelligence is a principle that will not permit of 
qualification by reason of its universal character. No 
person can deny it without betraying an ostentation of 
superiority, with only external appearances to sustain 
it. That is, the most primitive man that used tools 
and discovered how to produce fire, demonstrated the 



2)^2 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

essential feature of progress, which the most developed 
scientist was equally dependent upon; the degree of re- 
sults having no effect upon the cardinal principle of 
either intelligence or progress. 

Neither the oppressor or greedy could be expected 
to take kindly to any progressive reform that would 
deprive such of the desired end. Also history is evi- 
dence that the oppressor was simply more oppressive in 
proportion to his volume of intelligence. This seeming 
incongruity could be accounted for from the readiness 
by which fear could be taught, and the disposition of 
the most learned to employ their early discoveries in 
frightening the credulous. Education, however, as the 
extreme opposite of teaching, admits of the recognition 
of universal intelligence, however "low" the type of a 
human being may be. Teaching to the contrary which 
is too closely related to polity and oppression to be other 
than an obstruction to progress, by reason also of the 
more developed as a rule clinging to the prerogatives 
of the past, rather than acknowledge that the lowest 
type of humanity is a part of the whole, and the whole 
is God. It may be pantheism, fatalism, or anthropo- 
morphism, but it has not stayed the march of human 
progress. Thus from whence he means, there is no 
evidence that fear and polity will ever gain a substan- 
tial victory over love and courage. 

The person who lacks courage to contend against the 
ridicule of empiricism, is well developed in the culture 
of fear. Besides, ridicule betrays more conceit than it 
does refinement. Oppression will cease with the modern 
form of slavery; at least, to the individual with courage 
enough to recognize that what is directly revealed con- 
cerns him more as a factor of progress, than all the fear 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 3/3 

that is imparted to him by his surroundings. No stu- 
dent of history could fail to observe that empirical cou- 
rage was always the prime factor of progress, and also 
the only successful opponent of polity which thrives 
upon the teaching of fear to the populace. God never 
revealed to any one man authority to deprive another 
of reading the Scriptures and silently determining for 
himself the relation of direct revelation to the indirect. 
The polity of maintaining an interpretation of Scrip- 
tures, with the persistent effort also to teach a child an 
obligation to its predecessors for knowledge (God) will 
decline in proportion to the natural development of 
progressive intelligence. 

It generates anger and violent resentment to show a 
disregard for a progressive ambition that an illiterate 
man can feel, and having no literal method of defence 
is compelled to submit to degradation. A person could 
be learned in a foreign language and treated with indig- 
nity by a person less learned in some other tongue. It 
shows how inconsistent two persons could be simply 
because neither would recognize that language was not 
intelligence or knowledge, any more than the label on a 
bottle was responsible for the contents of the bottle. 

An illiterate blacksmith could be skillful in making a 
horse shoe, by virtue of his progressive intelligence, 
while by the distortion of language he could be de- 
graded by a man learned in letters which were equally 
as artificial as the horse shoe. To take advantage of a 
person ignorant of defence, is equivalent to putting a 
premium on vice and a tax on natural virtue. Rewards 
and punishment disturbed the evident sincerity of Butler 
when he wrote the "Analogy," but with his convictions 
of the divine appointment of Kings, it is not strange 



374 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

that he could not conceive of a natural religion, and a 
universal intelligence revealed to entire humanity in 
common. Whatever defence that man can conceive for 
literal morality, it will never detract from the spiritual, 
that the most illiterate cannot be deprived of, by any 
language that art has yet produced. 

Progress does not improve intelligence an atom, for 
the reason that perfection is a word that relates to an 
ultimate condition, and if the word intelligence can be 
politically distorted to relate to a literal conveyance, the 
evil is in the definitions of the symbol rather than the 
principles it relates to. Because children are taught, (by 
inference from books) that knowledge is derived from 
its predecessors, it could grow to mature age with ex- 
ternal appearance of culture and refinement, with the 
brain cells scaled against what the exclusive privilege 
of experience reveals, that knowledge and intelligence 
are only possible by a direct touch of the perfection of 
God. A teacher being obliged to quibble between polity 
and moral conviction, is responsible to God for deliber- 
ately attempting to "impart knowledge" or employ terms 
that tacitly convey what is false. 

A thousand people can be led by false attractions 
with less effort than a single one can be redeemed, yet 
passive intelligence is not a crime, for progress from 
a natural point of view is identical, and equally as un- 
certain as birth. It is, however, impossible to teach vir- 
tue, while it is possible to teach vice, since to "fall" in 
ignorance is a virtue, or progress would be a failure, 
but to fall in knowledge would be vice. 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 375 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



WHAT IT MEANS. 



'T^HE utter impossibility of conveying Knowledge, 
•*■ which is to know God. The limit of conveyance or 
correspondence between man and man, is relatively, by 
the comparison of objects, which introduces language 
however crude, yet the very essence of communication, 
the cardinal principle of which, being as positive and 
intrinsic as the presence of man on earth. The only 
literal proof that the imperfection of written language 
will permit, is the perfection of the babe "in the image 
of God," to dispute which man never committed a 
greater sin, equivalent to denying his own presence and 
the power of God to reveal knowledge direct to every 
being "in the image of God." 

Evil requires no accounting for, as it is too conspicu- 
ous and visible to be included in the indivisibility of 
Knowledge, other than its empirical personality to 
which every being possesses a clear title, by reason of 
the "breath of life." Man was compelled to be active 
previous to having any choice of methods. The uncon- 
scious activity established a contact that developed a 
consciousness of his own existence. It was so satis- 
factory and such a perfect success, that he no sooner 
discovered he had a will of his own, than he commenced 
to develop greed. He also dveloped a commanding dis- 
position, and also one of tranquility which was neutral- 



376 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

ized by responsibility, when a moral sense was touched 
to counteract his greed. 

The converse relation between polity and education, 
has been a continual dispute that corresponds with the 
necessity of activity, but the moral regulation, akin to 
the sense of responsibility, would not permit of the 
destruction of the human race from the enthusiasm of 
any single person. Every method that ingenuity could 
suggest has been employed to prevent the populace ob- 
taining a simple understanding of written language. 
Polity is just as busy at the present time in seeking 
methods to hide from the populace that they have always 
possessed a clear title to the direct revelation of Know- 
ledge. The effort to continue teaching a method of dis- 
torting written language, is for the same purpose, that 
the ancients employed in confining the art of learning 
to as few persons as possible. Written history will prove 
all the duplicity of the past, to any person who will take 
the trouble to translate it into a language of simple un- 
derstanding. There can be no other motive for holding 
written language at such an extravagant distance from 
the populace, than to maintain the supremacy of teach- 
ing over natural education as directly revealed from 
God. 

An intrinsic principle cannot be changed by relative 
symbols that can be changed and defined at the pleasure 
of art. For instance, the word "religion" may be de- 
fined to justify the polity of excluding it from the pub- 
lic schools, while morality is permitted to be taught. If 
that order does not imply that religion is immoral the 
alternative must be chosen that symbols are more per- 
fect than the principles they represent. Religion and 
education were applied to a single principle by the 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 377 

ancients, and standard definitions must be scrupulously 
maintained or the purpose reflects a false intent, more 
immoral than moral. If professed teachers betray a 
privilege of evading morality or the truth, some pupils 
at least will be bright enough to observe the inconsis- 
tency. 

The point is, for a teacher to determine, whether relig- 
ion is moral or immoral. If polity treats religious insti- 
tutions as educational by exempting them from taxation, 
it practically recognizes that religion was moral, and 
from the inconsistent order, forbidding religion to be 
taught in the public schools it would reverse the infer- 
ence that religion was immoral by implying that educa- 
tion was. To' compel a parent to submit a child to 
whatever authority polity directs, is only a different form 
of slavery; whether it is necessary to progress or not, 
it is not in accord with Christianity. 

Religion is clothed in a variety of definitions that re- 
flects polity more than truth or morality. A general 
definition, however, that religion was the relation be- 
tween man and God could be distorted for some con- 
venient end. For instance, a relation between man and 
God signifies exactly what polity has ever tried to main- 
tain when in truth there is no relation other than a 
unity of Spirit between God and man, for if there were, 
polemic controversy, dogmatics, and counter apologetics 
would never have an object for dispute; a relation that 
the "breath of life" had previously established. The 
continued effort and failure to establish a relation be- 
tween God and man is the best proof there is no such 
literate relation, besides every babe that is born is a 
living proof of it; allowing it can be taught to deny 
it after consciousness was revealed. Because it cannot 



378 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

be demonstrated by letter or symbol is all the more proof 
that there is no relation between God and man that can 
be literally symbolized. Because polity can frighten 
parents and attract children to expect things that escape 
them the moment they are reached, it does not in any 
sense effect the communion of Spirit, which if related 
to itself even to satisfy the fastidious, it would be no 
less itself. 

The polity of trying to teach an obedience to literal 
authority, in imitation of the sacerdotal effort of the 
past, betrays a contempt for both freedom and Christian- 
ity. The impossibility of teaching anything of a spir- 
itual character without clinging to the methods of the 
pagans, must be apparent to any one having spiritual 
respect for Christianity. Religion and education from 
a spiritual standpoint relate to the same moral duty, 
and when polit}^ tries to teach morality in the public 
schools and exclude religion, the incongruity of such 
effort is too glaring to be constantly disguised, for if 
morality depends upon weaning a child from its spir- 
itual conception of God for the purpose of introducing 
a literal conception designed by polity, it could not have 
been for any other purpose than to obscure the truth. 

Polity is not in accord with the United States Con- 
sitution, either in the letter or spirit of it, for polity 
disputes itself in establishing compulsory education and 
then forbidding the teaching of religion, assuming that 
morality can be better imparted by compulsion than by 
spiritual revelation. The sentiment of the divine right 
of Kings is more arbitrarily usurped by Legislators than 
by modern Kings. It is absurd for Legislators to assert 
that they represent the people, when they are controlled 
by polity which in turn is controlled by predominating 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 379 

interests, which the people also are compelled to serve 
by an extravagant system of education, so attractive 
that material prospects may be conserved regardless of 
the truth of morality ; or whether expectations are real- 
ized or not. It is no blind assertion, for anyone taking 
the trouble to study the situation could observe, that 
since Socrates first sowed the seed of religious and 
educational freedom, followed by the multitude of mar- 
tyrs since, all nations of the earth have used their mili- 
tant power to prevent the growth of principle. The 
States of America grew great upon the mere declaration 
of the principle of Christianity, but it wears the label 
of Democracy with ill grace, since it was forced to re- 
sort to compulsory education for fear its political power 
would wane, and the United States would become a 
Democracy in fact, as well as to bear the label. What 
better proof exists than compulsory education? Is it 
the will of the people tO' be compelled to be free? Is 
there any period in history when a nation or master 
ever took the trouble to compel its subjects to be free? 
Can polity succeed in supplanting religion by a system 
of artificial morality, that depends for success upon the 
support of a written language, that is false to the car- 
dinal principle of education, and spiritual character of 
Christianity? Besides, seeking by the literary talent 
to teach the child an obligation to its predecessors for 
knowledge, when that is also false? 

Washington declared : "Let us with caution indulge 
the supposition that morality can be maintained without 
religion." 

The record of polity in the past shows nothing but 
failure from its effort to control religion — ancient edu- 
cation — or Christianity — modern liberty. Will the mere 



380 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

changing the symbol of reHgion to that of education 
estabHsh virtue in modern polity that the ancients' type 
never possessed? While the object in controling edu- 
cation is the same as the ancient polity in trying to con- 
trol religion, and later the vain efforts of the Roman 
Empire for a thousand years to control Christianity, it 
would appear, at least to the learned, that God does 
not, or ever did rule the world by a representative proxy. 
If one feels obliged to cling to literal vagaries in ex- 
change for the spiritual, no one need to follow in the 
shadow of such a crystalized object, for allowing that 
children are compelled by polity to go to school, it is 
the limit of political power when the child reaches the 
school-house, for the vagaries of text books and litera- 
ture, can only be forced upon a child by the medium 
of fear or attraction. If a teacher can teach morality 
without teaching religion, it would exclude both truth 
and spiritual morality from the public schools. So- 
called culture and refinement in the absence of morality, 
is an ideal dream that never blossoms or fruits. The 
evidence is becoming more prominent that artificial 
morality, that the present system of education is ac- 
countable for, by reasons before stated, that even the 
caution of Washington recognized a hundred years ago, 
practically, that religion and education related to the 
same moral principle ; it needs no phenomenal wisdom 
to determine the motive in trying to make a sublime 
principle subjective on one side, and objective on the 
other. 

It is just as possible to destroy the natural power of 
a child to construct thoughts by virtue of its revealed 
knowledge, as it would be to break its legs to prevent 
it from walking. It is out of character in a govern- 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION, 381 

ment that professes to protect the common interests of 
all, to maintain a dual character of education, the one 
formular and the other practical, both of which being 
derived from a common knowledge. The formular, 
however, is made attractive, while the practical is con- 
fined to fear. It serves to silence the populace by fear 
which cultivates a subserviency to the formular of lan- 
guage, by the attraction of future prospects, which is 
silenced by disappointment. The cemeteries are a silent 
witness of greed seeking to elevate the literal above the 
spiritual, which the ambiguity of words can never apolo- 
gize for successfully. 

Education could not be successfully prohibited if all 
the nations of the earth should combine to prevent it, 
for that reason the political feature of compulsion, be- 
trays a motive as adverse to the enlightment of the 
common people as the former effort to prevent it. The 
Southern States are adverse to the introduction of com- 
pulsory education, for fear the colored race will de- 
velop qualities beyond the control of the whites. It 
presents a condition having no parallel in history, when 
education and religion were both free to so large a 
group of people in one body. The result can be 
watched with some interest as a rebuke to political in- 
terference with the liberty of the white race, in con- 
trast with 10,000,000 colored people enjoying a freedom 
that was never permitted by any nation before. Not the 
least remarkable is their ambition for education and 
religion both, in strange contrast to a proclaimed neces- 
sity of compelling the white race to be educated. 

If the illiterate and so-called ignorant are the natural 
wards of the educated, what moral relation has polity 
which has no respect for truth or religion? It is a per- 



382 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

sonal responsibility, for polity is the objective that every 
subject must encounter as the pitfall, to either shun or 
embrace. There is no escape from the alternative of 
this choice practically a choice between direct and in- 
direct knowledge. There is no polity connected with 
religion or Christianity except what polity tries to com- 
pel people to believe. There are two glaring reasons 
that the educated are responsible for individually. First, 
the support of such an inconsistency as the division of a 
moral principle, by recognizing two symbols at the com- 
mand of polity — religion and education. No man can 
be educated without knowing whether he is serving 
polity or morality. The second reason is, that the am- 
biguity of written language is maintained by polity, to 
prevent the illiterate from discovering that they are not 
in any sense obligated to their predecessors for either 
knowledge, or education proper. It is a responsibility 
as strictly personal as the freedom of the will, to with- 
hold the knowledge that education is purposely man- 
aged to prevent the common people from learning too 
much, rather than an honest purpose of trying to en- 
lighten them. 

If education and religion are companions in benefi- 
cence and virtue, how can a person justify his conduct 
'to himself, and hold to an extravagant system of edu- 
cation when he knows it could be so economically con- 
ducted, that personal freedom could be as common as 
the "breath of life?" If polity and the devil really rule 
the world, how can a man submit to it and be satisfied 
that he is serving God also? No person is obliged to 
submit or serve any polity in opposition to his moral 
convictions, but if he does not recognize the equal right 
of another to enjoy the same freedom, he betrays more 



THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 383 

egotism than morality, of which a mere child will ob- 
serve more readily than precepts however profoundly 
uttered in language that can be distorted to accommo- 
date any polity desired. 

Because a parent and child both can be misled is 
conclusive that they can also be led by benevolence ; 
but in justice to the child it should be observed that it 
often shows more perfect logic before going to school 
than after ; and an unprejudiced person could notice 
that the natural disposition of the child has a preference 
for goodness. All is changed, however, when false at- 
tractions are encountered and the growth of fear has 
to be contended with. Who is more responsible for the 
future of a child than one who would mislead it with 
false attractions, and smother its first bright hopes of 
life by a continual parade of fear? Is it beneficence to 
justify a dishonest act of compulsory education with the 
avowed purpose of improving humanity, when a greater 
benefit accrues to the would-be benefactor, than to the 
prospective benefited? Is it honest for a person tO' as- 
sist in maintaining a system of education made difficult 
to protect an exclusive class of society, when he who 
knows how to distort words, must necessarily know how 
to simplify them? Again, can a purpose be moral and 
honest when the only method to reach it, is to "fall ;" 
and then fall in knowledge for the sake of the benefice? 
It should be observed, however, that to "fall" in ig- 
norance is a virtue, compared with a fall in knowledge. 
If the inference could be drawn that a compulsory sys- 
tem maintained by polity was not what it is represented 
to be, what apology can a person make for defending 
polity, and neglecting moral obligations, that are re- 
vealed to the babe from the "breath of life?" 



384 THE ECONOMY OF EDUCATION. 

Besides, who can explain the motive of recognizing 
the freedom of reHgion, and then deny that the principle 
of education is not entitled to the same recognition? Is 
freedom so dangerous that only an exclusive few can 
be trusted to impart it to the many? 

It explains what it means; that the Economy of Ed- 
ucation would reform present social corruption, just as 
soon as parents have courage enough to defy polity and 
protect their children. If education is a virtue, its econ- 
omy would aid distribution and detract nothing from 
its cardinal virtue. 

The End. 



W. A. STURDY 



€'!)p Dpgfnprnrij nf Iristnrrnrij 



Boston, J. D. BONNELL & SON, 1907. 36J pages. 



TRANSLATION FROM ITALIAN 



^EW books offer, as this, a chance to meditate over humaui 
events and the manifold aspects in which they may be con- 
sidered. The attempt to reduce the whole history of the 
nations to a simple formula, very short and comprehensive, 
is not new ; but just because the thinkers have given us innumerable 
formulas, every attempt of such a kind has miscarried, and it only 
shows that the different phases the strong social events offer us, cannot 
be all embraced in one glance and described or analyzed by one 
mmd. This book, no doubt, is unusually suggestive, so strong is the 
rigorous logic in which the author closely pursues his reasoning. But 
the reader cannot help rebelling, when he sees that his own thought 
is forced by other's thought to chisel his ideas in a prefix plan and the 
rebellion makes him think upon and set apart the truth from the 
sophism, also in the case in which the two forms are presented in a 
way so alike, that can be confounded with the Degeneration of 
Aristocracy, which always attempts to revive the whole human 
history. On one side there is nature (democracy), on the other side 
art (aristocracy), but nature tries to become art and therefore to revive 
the aristocracy. 

This is the fundamental thought of the author around which he 
ties, step by step, the historic events of humanity, with wideness of 
ideas and much learning. 

One finds amoung the thirty seven chapters of the book, (some 
of them) full of acute and also original observations, as those on 
Schools and their influence, and that on "The Rivalry between 
Culture and the Dollar," etc. 

We recommend to our readers this book as very interesting in 
great part. 

From the Italian Magazine 'IJECONOMISTA." 

September 29, 1907. 



MAR 11 1909 jQ ji^g TRADE! 



{{ 



The Degeneracy of Aristocraqx 



Latest Book by W. A. STURDY 



HIS PREVIOUS EFFORTS ARE: 

* Right and Wrong The Open Door 

These w^orks all treat of Democracy^ Christian Unity, and the 
oppressive character of Aristocracy, -with Suggestive Remedies for existing 
Social and Political Disturfcances. 



Comments of the Press 

" Religion was always free and recognized by Moses, but the intro- 
duction of kings put an embargo upon the exercise of religious freedom, 
which continued in force until the United States duplicated the recog- 
nition of Moses. " The Degeneracy of Aristocracy " is published as an 
appeal for the recognition of human justice." — Boston Herald, 

The progress of democracy, in its eternal struggle with the spirit and 
institution of aristocracy, is a favorite and fascinating topic to the 
American student of history. " The Degeneracy of Aristocracy," by 
W. A. Sturdy, undertakes to show by the retrospect of history that dem- 
ocracy is to be so totally triumphant that an already declining aristocracy 
will be entirely swept away. — Boston Globe. 

The book is, as the author states, " an appeal for the recognition of 
human justice." He not only outlines the problems but solutions as well. 
It would be preposterous to believe that all the author outlines will be 
accomplished in this generation, at least, but the power of the book still 
remains. A careful reading will open such new lines of thought that the 
reader cannot fail to be impressed and instructed. Not the least charm 
of the book is the forceful epigrams of which Mr. Sturdy is master. — 
The Attleboro Daily 6un. 



BOSTON: 

J. D. BONNELL & SON 

And at all Book Stores 
PRICE $1.00 PER COPY 



S9 88 I 



^"-^^^ 







































\v .. 'P " ^ 
















... .0*- ^5 'ow A .^ ... 








) V» •'■• K^^ °^ *•>-«> A° ^^ "^ <^^ 























'o V" 



'^0^ 



'oK 



